Moroccan Mint Honey Syrup

teas.co.uk · 15 min · Makes about 250ml

You'll need

• 4 Dragonfly Organic Moroccan Mint pyramid bags
• 250ml freshly drawn water (used at 80C: let boiled water cool and check with a thermometer)
• Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, grated finely
• 150g acacia honey or raw blossom honey
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• A small pinch of fine sea salt

Method

1. Boil a full kettle to a proper rolling boil; then, off the heat, let it stand two full minutes to drop to 80C. The drop in temperature matters because the gunpowder green tea base in this blend would scald at a full rolling boil.
2. Drop the 4 Moroccan Mint pyramids and the finely grated lemon zest into a small heatproof jug. Pour the 250ml of 80C water straight over.
3. Cover the jug with a small saucer and steep for eight full minutes. The longer than cup steep is needed for a syrup strength infusion; the syrup will only carry as much mint character as the brew at this stage puts in.
4. Strain the infused liquid through a fine sieve into a small heavy based saucepan, catching the bags and the lemon zest. Discard the bags; the zest has done its job.
5. Add the 150g of acacia honey, the 100g of golden caster sugar, the 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice and the small pinch of fine sea salt to the saucepan with the infused liquid.
6. Set the saucepan over a medium heat and whisk gently for five to six minutes until the sugar has fully dissolved, the honey has integrated cleanly into the brew and the syrup has reduced slightly to a glossy thicker consistency that draws a slow line on the back of a spoon.
7. Take the pan off the heat and leave the syrup to cool in the pan for ten minutes; pouring boiling syrup into a glass jar can crack the jar.
8. When the syrup has cooled to warm (still pourable but no longer steaming), transfer to the sterilised 250ml jar through a small funnel. Screw the lid on tight and label with the date.
9. Cool fully to room temperature on the worktop, then transfer the jar to the fridge. Store the Moroccan mint syrup jar in the fridge and get through it before long; we do not put a keeping time on syrups you make yourself. The colour darkens slightly over time but the character holds clean.
10. Use: a tablespoon glazed across a bowl of fresh halved apricots before grilling, two tablespoons drizzled over Greek yoghurt with toasted pistachios, a teaspoon in a tall iced lemonade, a small brush across the top of a freshly cut sponge cake, or a tablespoon stirred straight into a hot mug of the same Moroccan Mint tea.

Recipe: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/green tea/moroccan mint honey syrup/