This low sugar canned berry syrup and dessert topping is made with fruit, apple juice, honey, and a bit of sugar. You can also make it with just the juice and honey, if you don’t mind a stronger honey flavor. It is nicely sweet, though – there’s no mistaking that this is a syrup.
Because the recipe is made with the whole berry, it is really fresh-tasting (a bonus in the depths of winter) and easy. Even with the 40 minutes needed to boil down the syrup, it only takes about an hour to make 9 1/2-pints. I used our garden Marionberries (my favorite berry) for this batch of syrup.
What are my plans for this Marionberry Syrup? Well, I’m sure we will eat some, and the others are the beginning of Christmas presents (if you are someone who might receive one of these, kindly act real surprised…). I haven’t decided which way to go with these yet, but here are my two ideas:
- Breakfast Basket: combine with a bag of homemade pancake/waffle mix, and maybe include another flavor like raspberry or different syrup.
- Ice Cream Basket: Add a caramel and chocolate syrup along with this, an ice cream scoop, some nuts, and a recipe for Incredible Ice Cream Without A Machine.
If you want to use seasonal produce for presents, you’ve got to think way in advance, though the other nice thing with this recipe is that you can use frozen fruit as well as fresh, which means you can process it whenever you’ve got the time.
This is a recipe even someone new to canning can accomplish easily! Simply combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. The pot will be about 3/4-full.
Reduce the heat to keep the mixture at a low boil for 40-45 minutes, stirring often. Don’t let it burn or stick, though I found I could do other things in the kitchen- I didn’t have to stand over the pot and stir for the entire time.
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When it looks like this – syrupy and reduced until the pot is only 1/2-full – it’s time to put them in jars and can in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. See Water Canning Step-by-Step for specifics.
See? Whether they will be gifts or line your pantry, this is an easy way to have fresh berry flavor for your pancakes or ice cream!
PrintLow Sugar Canned Berry Syrup And Topping
An easy, low sugar berry topping that is perfect for pancakes and ice cream and makes great gifts. Adapted from Kerr Kitchen Cookbook.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 9 1/2-pints or 5 pints
- Category: Preserving- condiment
Ingredients
- 10-1/2 cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.), fresh or frozen
- 4-1/2 c. apple juice
- 1-1/2 c. honey
- 1-1/2 c. sugar (or you can use all honey: 2-3/4 c. honey total- use a bit less as honey is sweeter than sugar)
Instructions
- Place fruit in an 8-quart pot and crush (if using frozen fruit, let thaw at room temperature first).
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly towards the end as it gets close to boiling, just to make sure it doesn’t overflow the pot.
- Reduce the heat slightly- enough to keep the fruit at a medium boil – and stir often as the mixture cooks and reduces over the next 40 minutes. It should be thickened and reduced by almost half. If not, continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, prepare the canner and 9 1/2-pints jars (or 5 pint jars) and lids. Keep the jars warm until filling.
- Immediately fill hot jars with the syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar tops and threads clean and place lids and bands on jars.
- Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool on a towel overnight before removing bands and testing lids for seal. Refrigerate any that didn’t seal and store the rest on a dark, cool shelf.
- Always label the jars with the contents and a date so you remember what you’ve got. Use within a year.
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Does the apple juice give the syrup an apple flavor and can you make this without the juice? Maybe sub water?
No, it doesn’t add a discernible apple flavor, Sherri. I’ve never tried leaving it out, though I suppose you could try!
This looks like a great recipe. We usually have an abundance of wild blueberries and huckleberries around here. I usually freeze some and make a few special baked goods every year. I tried a recipe for blueberry syrup one year but it was just much too sweet, and I just wasn’t ready to dedicate my time to canning it again. I will be giving this a try though. I would love to try raspberry too because the woods are being very generous this year, not too sure about the seeds, the wild ones seem to have more. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe…pinning, off to check out the rest of your canning and preserving articles, then more raspberry picking. Perfect day.
I hope you like this, Melissa – you are right, syrups that are too sweet take away from the berry flavor, I think. Raspberries should be lovely – you can always strain the syrup before cooking if the seeds seem like too much.
★★★★★
My syrup just doesn’t want to thicken. Looks reduced, but still runny. I did the all honey version. Any suggestions? Cooked it for 60 minutes on medium boil stirring regularly. ????
Thanks
Did you do the freezer-plate test? If you put a spoonful on a frozen plate, is it a bit thicker? I think it will thicken as it cools, and this will give you an idea of that.
Great idea. Thanks. I’m giving it another try. Last time was first time making syrup. Good idea on freezer-plate test.
Is that ten and a half cups fruit or ten 1/2 cups fruit (making it 5 cups). Just a little confused with the “-” in 10 – 1/2 and same for the rest. Assuming it’s ten and a half cups, but making sure. Thanks
Yes, 10.5 cups. I use the dash to indicate that the 1/2 goes with the number, not the cups. To me, 10 1/2-cups makes it seem like you say – 1/2 c. measurements. 🙂
Excellent. That’s what I assumed and it makes sense. Going to try this today with golden raspberries. Can’t wait. Thanks,
Theresa
That should make a lovely topping!
How many cups of juice does 10 1/2 cups of berries make?
I’m not sure what you’re asking, Susan – I only know how much of syrup the recipe makes: 9 cups (1/2 pint = 1 cup). Does that answer your question? This recipe isn’t making juice (which involves straining, etc.), so I don’t know how much juice that amount of berries makes.
My thoughts were this was a syrup but from your reply seems to be more of a chunky sauce. Is that correct? I have some homemade canned blueberry juice that I thought I might be able to use to make a blueberry pancake/ice cream syrup. Any ideas?
Oh, yes Susan, it’s just a chunky sauce since I find the step of straining to get juice cumbersome and time-consuming. 🙂 Pretty sure you can make a syrup from your juice – just add your sweetener and cook until it thickens. You might find other recipes that start with juice instead of fruit.
Thanks Jami, I’ll have to search around. For me making juice is easy – that is ever since I have invested in the Mehu-Maha (spelling might be off here) some years ago. It is a steam extractor that makes the best juices. I have more than got my money back from it. I often turn some of the juice into jelly during the colder months.
I’m looking for a home version of the raspberry syrup I use to sweeten my iced tea. Do you think this recipe will fit the bill?
It very well might, Linda, though if you’re used to a smooth syrup, I’d strain it before canning.
I’m going to give it a try. If it doesn’t work to flavor my tea, I can always have it on pancakes:)
This was awesome! Thank you! I cut out the white sugar totally and cooked it longer. Thank you!!!!
Jami & Anonymous- Same question! I have 1 of these totally cute jars, i’d like a few more, but I cant even seem to find manufacture info about them. Do y’all know who makes them, or where they are sold?
Thanks!
Hi, Leah- I believe they are made by Ball or Kerr, the normal jar manufacturers. I’ve seen them at most of the stores where canning jars are sold (not Walmart, though- they carry mostly a different brand). We have a local store called BiMart that always has them. Good luck on your search. 🙂
Anon- Those are the “jelly jars” that you can still buy new at some stores (at least I saw them last year…). They are a bit more expensive than the straight-sided jars, but cuter to give as gifts. Lucky to you find so many!
Jami – Do you know anything about the cute vintage jars you used? The slightly shorter, rounder ones with embossed fruit on the side.
I picked up 5 dozen jars recently at an estate sale and a couple looked like yours.
Sounds great and looks beautiful! If I act surprised can I get one for Christmas? :@)
Drool!
This looks great. I hope you will link this up to my Canning Week Blog Party next week.