Raspberry Syrup

Yes, Mary Randolph certainly knew how to put together a cookbook. I’ve often wondered if she actually tried all the recipes, or had a staff of servants who she told how to cook? Heck, to even be literate enough to write a book at that time was an accomplishment.

One of the things that many people today don’t realize is that the daily cooking was not all that women were expected to do. I’m not just talking about housekeeping chores, but the whole area of food preservation. Without grocery stores, freezers, and home canning techniques, preserving food for the winter was an enormous responsibility. The winter diet of even the wealthy was not much, and for the poor, it was awful. You could dry, pickle (like my Pickled Fish), or preserve with sugar, and that was about it.

I thought about this week as I was making Raspberry Syrup. This is one recipe that I could, probably, actually make over an open hearth. Of course, in the old days, they just poured it into a stoneware crock and put a tight cover on the crock. If they found a little mold on the top, they just dipped it off and continued eating the rest.

One of the nice things about this easy recipe is that you can use any kind of juicy fruit, and you don’t have to worry much about cooking it to the soft ball stage. Undercook it, and your syrup is simply thinner, overcook and you have jelly. Either way, you have something you can use. This is great over crepes.

Raspberry Syrup:

2 quarts raspberries
2 pounds sugar
2 cups of water

Wash berries, drain, mash well with potato masher or carefully in food processor so seeds are not pulverized. Strain the berries through a jelly bag for at least 6 hours.

In a large kettle bring the sugar and water to a softball stage, around 225 degrees. Slowly add the juice and bring to a boil a second time. Skim any scum off the top with a strainer spoon. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal.

Almost any kind of berry (strawberry, blackberry, currants, cherries, or loganberries) will work.