Prickly Pear Syrup
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4.8
72 reviews
Excellent
Prickly Pear Syrup
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This is a standard syrup recipe, using the brilliant magenta fruits of the prickly pear cactus as the fruit. Commercial versions of this syrup are used for fancy margaritas or are poured over pancakes; two excellent ideas. I strongly advise you to buy citric acid for this recipe. You can often find it in the canning aisle of the supermarket under names like “Fruit Fresh” and the like. Most prickly pears lack any sort of acid tang and need something to keep them from being insipid. Lemons work fine, but I want base ingredients like a syrup to be pure in flavor.
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Ingredients
- 3 pounds prickly pears
- water to cover
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon citric acid, or the juice of 2 lemons
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Instructions
- Put the fruits in a pot and add enough water to almost cover them. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
- Mash the fruit with a potato masher, then push it through a food mill to separate out the seeds.
- Strain the pulpy juice through a fine-meshed strainer, then again through the same strainer that has either cheesecloth or a plain paper towel set inside. You need to do this to be sure of removing every last glochid.
- Measure the strained juice, and pour it into a pot. Add an equal amount (by volume) of sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice or citric acid. Add a little at a time and taste it. Stop adding when it is tart enough for you.
- Pour while still hot into clean Mason jars and seal. This should keep for months in the fridge, or you could process it in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes and keep it in the pantry; the citric acid helps preserve the syrup.
Notes
- This recipe is a guide: Prickly pears come in all sizes and sweetness levels, so use your taste buds and common sense. My pears were small, mostly about the size of limes. And they were sweet, but not overly so.
Nutrition Information
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Calories
102kcal
(5%)
Carbohydrates
26g
(9%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
1g
(2%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Sodium
12mg
(1%)
Potassium
140mg
(4%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
25g
(50%)
Vitamin A
249IU
(5%)
Vitamin C
5mg
(6%)
Calcium
89mg
(9%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 25Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 102 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 102kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 26g | 9% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 12mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 140mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 25g | 50% |
| Vitamin A | 249IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 89mg | 9% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
72 reviews
Excellent
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