Garden syrups
Lars's girfriend writes about knitting and crocheting but also about other sweet things in Norwegian and English. We met Lars, Trond and Espen in Fiji who were an interesting bunch. See his girlfriend Hilde's site if you can understand Norwegian or just to look at some other interseing pics. http://knittingplace.blogspot.com

Her recipe for syrups is below. They are easy to make and will work well served over ice cream and fruits, and they look gorgeous too. Beautiful pics are courtesy of Hilde.

Lemon thyme syrup

2,5 dl water
200 g sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon thyme leaves
1 cardamom pod, slightly crushed
Seeds from half a vanilla bean




For those who haven’t got any herbs around, there’s also another variant. I tasted one that my mother made, which is spicy, mild and sweet. I believe it will work especially well with a fruit salad containing citrus fruits.

Spice syrup

2,5 dl water
200 g sugar
½ cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
Seeds from half a vanilla bean

For both syrups, the same method is used. Just put everything in a casserole, bring to the boil, and let it simmer for a little while until it’s reduced and a bit thickened. It’s difficult to say for how long, but you can put some syrup on a cold plate, and when it’s become a little thick (but not to thick), it’s finished. The amount of ingredients is not to be seen as absolutes. You have got to taste, and maybe add some until it tastes like you prefer it to. Then it’s just a matter of getting that fruit salad and/or ice cream on the table :-)

Hilde