recipe: plum syrup

At the Friday Strangelove outing, I dispensed healthy servings of plum simple syrup with a citrus-flavored fizzy water and optional adult additions for the crowd. Flavored syrups provide a lovely opportunity to put your personal stamp on time-honored beverages. You can add a hint of ginger, mint or basil to lemonade, or flavor your iced teas with verbena, cardamom or thyme.

But on Friday, I wanted the mellow, late-summer delight of plums. So, I mixed up some sugar and water and sliced up some plums. The bonus of this syrup recipe is that you end up with big, sweet slices of plums to stir into your drinks or save for a special cook's treat.

Recipe: Plum Syrup
Makes more than enough for four drinks

2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
4 plums, any color or mix of colors, pitted and cut into eight slices each

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring. Place plum slices in a heat-proof bowl. Pour syrup over the plums. Let steep and chill.

Pretty simple, eh? For a simple drink, add a little sparkling mineral water or lightly flavored water and/or the chilled, clear potent potable of your choice. You can also add the plum syrup to a delicately flavored iced tea.