Add a freshness to your summer drinks with a homemade basil simple syrup right from your garden!
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They say your tastes change as you get older.
Even though I’ve always loved food, I had never been a huge fan of basil until the last couple of years.
We’ve been growing it in our garden the last few summers and I’ve become obsessed.
But, as anyone who grows basil knows, by the end of the season, you have an incredible amount of leaves to use.
After playing around with some recipes, homemade basil simple syrup has become one of my favorite ways to use my crop.
And it couldn’t be easier.
You only need 3 ingredients.
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
Combine the basil, water, and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan.
Bring the ingredients to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar dissolves.
Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and let the basil steep for a half an hour.
Strain to remove the basil and throw the herbs away.
Let the syrup cool and store in a jar.
I love the pale green color!
This basil syrup smells so delicious as it cools!
The scent of basil throughout my entire house when I make this is insane.
I like to add about a tablespoon in some seltzer water for the perfect summer drink. A squeeze of lime is nice too if you find it a little sweet.
It’s so yummy in lemonade. Even a drizzle on a slice of pound cake would be amazing!
Another idea is to add it to a gin and tonic. So herbaceous and refreshing. If you’re ever in the market for a signature cocktail, this could be it!
Once you’ve got the basics of making fresh herbal simple syrup down, you can change it up in any number of ways.
For this batch, I’m actually using a blend of lemon basil and sweet basil for this one because I have so much of both. The lemon basil just adds a slight citrus flavor.
If basil isn’t your thing, you can make a simple syrup with fresh mint, rosemary, or lavender.
Pour your new favorite drink into a pretty glass and you’ve got yourself the perfect way to relax on a steamy, summertime day!
I love herbs and basil is a particularly lovely one. How easy to make the syrup. A keeper!
Thanks, Deborah! The syrup is so delicious!
Before I got to the end of the article I had already decided I wanted to use this in lemonade and as a soak for cakes. Looks like great minds think alike, lol!
Haha, I guess we do 😉!
Basil is my favourite herb, but never thought of doing this – The cocktail idea sounds like a winner!
It would be so perfect for these last days of summer!
This sounds like a great addition to sweet tea.
That would be amazing!
What a unique idea! What would you say the Basil Simple Syrup tastes like? I love basil, but my husband isn’t a huge fan.
Honestly, it tastes like super sweet basil. That might not be a lot of detail, but it’s the truth! But, if your garden is anything like mine, you have basil growing like crazy and can spare the amount you need to just give it a try. It really is very tasty!