Wild Foods with April Danann: Meadowsweet Syrup

Wild Foods with April Danann: Meadowsweet Syrup

Please welcome April Danann to the I Love Cooking kitchen! She’s all about Wild Foods, especially foods that help gut health, and will be sharing a few fermented recipes with us. But first a non-fermented recipe, how to make a wild flower or herb syrup. This Meadowsweet, Raspberry & Ginger syrup is delicious drizzled over vanilla ice-cream, or mixed with sparkling water for a refreshing drink, or even mixed with a bit of gin for a summery tipple!

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Meadowsweet, Raspberry & Ginger Syrup

April Danann’s Wild Food recipe can be used to make any wild flower, herb or fruit syrup you like. Enjoy drizzled over ice-cream, diluted with water, wine or even use in gin for a tasty drink.

Ingredients:

• 1l water
• 1.5kg sugar
• 10-15 Meadowsweet heads
• 200g raspberries
• 1 thick slice fresh ginger
  2-3 tbsp citric acid, optional

Method:

• Bring water to the boil in a large pot, allow to stand for about 10 minutes. Add sugar and stir until mostly dissolved.
• Trim thick stems off flower heads, add trimmed flowers to syrup. Gently push down into syrup.
• Stir in raspberries and ginger. Also stir in citric acid, if using. Tip: Citric acid will help preserve the syrup for longer, it also helps preserve the colour.
• Cover pot and leave to steep for a few hours, ideally up to 24 hours.
• Line a sieve with clean kitchen towel and pass syrup through to filter and remove any bits.
• Bottle syrup in clean bottles then store in a cool place or the fridge. Will keep for about 60 days without citric acid. Tip: To create a seal when bottling, warm filtered syrup and bottle while still warm.
• You can make different variations of flavoured syrup. Try using elderflower, cinnamon sticks, camomile etc. and optionally add flavours like lemon or apple. Rule of thumb, for every ½ litre of water, use 700-800g cane sugar.

 

A bit more about April…

April Danann is a Medical Intuitive, Naturopathic Nutritionist and practitioner of Herbal Medicine with a focus on gut health and has many years of experience. She has received a BSc (Hons) in Food Management & Marketing, MSc in Nutrition and Exercise Science as well as diplomas in Nutrition, Medical Intuition and Food Packaging Technology. She is currently working on her PhD and has recently qualified in Iridology.

April is in private practice combining this education and experience into assisting clients with diet, lifestyle and conscious living and does occasional talks in natural Nutrition, Fermentation and Intuition and for women in business.

Although she continues to produce some of the best apple cider vinegar, herbal kombucha and herbal products; her interest has shifted towards health potential and creating in-depth residential courses for nature centred studies.

‘Who I am really, aside from what I have learned, experienced and the places I have been – is a person deeply committed to fully understanding my body, mind and soul on the deepest levels. My books, blogs and life are all about living as close to nature and health as possible.’

You can find April at the Skibbereen Farmer’s Market most weekends and sometimes at Dun Laoighaire market. April has some amazing products such as her famous Herbucha and Apple Cider Vinegar.

Visit her website to find out what she’s up to… https://www.aprildanann.com/