Mulling syrup
By Lulu Grimes
This spiced syrup works equally well for mulled wine or cider. Make a batch ahead of time for entertaining or make up a gift kit for Christmas
- Prep:5 mins
Cook:30 mins
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
- kcal 15
- fat 0g
- saturates 0g
- carbs 4g
- sugars 4g
- fibre 0g
- protein 0g
- salt 0g
Ingredients
- 250g caster or granulated sugar
- 2 oranges, halved
- 6 whole cloves
- 6 whole allspice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ¼ nutmeg, freshly grated
- small piece ginger, sliced
Tip
Presenting your giftMake up a kit as a gift by tying some cinnamon sticks to the neck of the bottle with ribbon, and accompanying it with a good red wine. You can buy nice preserving bottles from lakeland.co.uk.
Method
Put all the ingredients into a saucepan with 1 litre water and bring slowly to a simmer, making sure all the sugar has been completely dissolved. Turn down the heat and simmer for 20 mins. Leave to cool, then strain through a very fine sieve.
Sterilise your bottles by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing well, then drying them in a warm oven. Meanwhile, rewarm the syrup until just hot, then pour into the bottles while still hot and seal.
Before giving away, add labels with serving instructions: Heat 400ml syrup with 750ml red wine or cider and some slices of orange or apple. Syrup will keep in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
