Sustainable Simple Syrups

Prep time: 10 minutes, 45 minutes cooling time, 4 hours to overnight maceration time (banana peel simple syrup)
Cook time: approximately 5 minutes
Serves: approximately 1½ cups (375 ml) of each simple syrup

Stop throwing away flavour and start making the most of your kitchen scraps with these easy-to-make syrups. You’ll find endless uses for them, infusing moisture and exceptional taste into your favourite baked goods, hot drinks, and cocktails. Choose from Orange, Banana, or Coffee, each paired with the perfect Brown Sugar for the job. Being eco-friendly never tasted sweeter!

Ingredients

For the orange simple syrup (1½ cup / 375 ml):

1 cup (250 ml) water
1 cup + 3 tbsp (258 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed
4 small oranges -or- 24 strips (48 g) orange peels, rinsed and patted dry (see Chef’s Tips)

For the banana simple syrup (2 cups / 500 ml):

5 to 7 (375 g) banana peels, rinsed, patted dry, roughly chopped
1 cup + 3 tbsp (258 g) Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup (250 ml) water

For the coffee simple syrup (1½ cup / 375 ml):

1 cup (250 ml) water
1 cup + 3 tbsp (258 g) Redpath® Demerara Style Sugar, packed
½ cup (83 to 95 g) spent coffee grinds (depending on whether drip coffee or espresso grinds are used)

Equipment

Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan

Scale OR dry measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Liquid measuring cup

Paring knife

Fine mesh sieve

Cheesecloth OR coffee filter

Sterilized OR clean containers (jars, bottles)

Golden Yellow Sugar

Dark Brown Sugar

Demerara Style Sugar

Instructions

For the orange simple syrup:

Step 1

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine water with the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to low.

Step 2

Add the orange peels (preferably without the pith). Simmer for one minute. Remove from heat.

Step 3

Cover and let peels infuse while the syrup cools to room temperature; approximately 45 minutes.

Step 4

Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth; discard solids (see Chef’s Tips).

For the banana simple syrup:

Step 1

In a medium bowl or container, combine the chopped banana peels with the Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar. Toss to ensure peels are covered with sugar. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or lid. Allow peels to macerate in the sugar for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight at room temperature, or until sugar is mostly dissolved and a liquid has formed.

Step 2

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and carefully add the banana peel-sugar mixture to the boiling water. Stir to ensure any sugar crystals are completely dissolved. Cover and cool to room temperature; approximately 45 minutes.

Step 3

Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth; discard solids (see Chef’s Tips).

For the coffee simple syrup:

Step 1

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine water with the Redpath® Demerara Style Sugar. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to low. Add in the spent coffee grinds. Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Remove from the heat. Cover and let coffee grinds infuse while the syrup cools to room temperature; approximately 45 minutes.

Step 3

Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth; discard solids (see Chef’s Tips).

For all syrups:

Pour the cooled simple syrups into airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator up to several weeks.

A bottle of coffee simple syrup, a bottle of orange simple syrup, and a bottle of banana simple syrup, shown with coffee grounds, orange peels, and banana peels

Chefʼs Tips

Ensure containers used are sterilized (see Jam Making 101 for how to sterilize jars and/or bottles and tips for long-term storage) or freshly washed and dried before pouring in the cooled simple syrup.

If known beforehand that peels or fruit skins will be used in a simple syrup, wash and dry fruits before peeling for ease in preparation. Also, peels and grinds can be placed into a freezer-safe container until needed and accumulated until the amount needed in each recipe is reached.

It is preferable to use orange peels without the pith (the white, slightly bitter part). Use a peeler to peel oranges for ease in making this simple syrup. Or, if using peels from oranges that have been hand peeled, take a sharp paring knife and carefully cut away as much pith as possible from the skin. To do this, lay the orange peel pith side up on a cutting board, scrape or cut away the pith. This will reduce the bitterness in the final simple syrup.

If you have composting facilities at home or your community, place the discards (peels, coffee grinds) in your compost collection bin, composter, or pile.

Containers and any utensils used in simple syrups should be sterilized or clean and free from contaminants (e.g. water, crumbs, fingers, etc.). Syrup should be thrown out if it develops mould, cloudiness, or smells off.

Simple syrups can be used to flavour teas, coffees, steamed milk, sparkling water, and cocktails. Pour a small amount over ice cream, yogurt, or oatmeal. Moisten cake layers to prevent cakes from drying out and for added flavour.

v*Keep in mind that bolder or stronger flavours (for example, coffee) can hold their own when using Brown Sugars, especially darker ones.

Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar is used in the orange peel simple syrup to allow the bright, delicate orange flavour from the peels to shine through with subtle hints of caramel.

Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar is used in the banana simple syrup as the pronounced caramel flavour of this sugar pairs well with the tropical flavour that the banana peels bring to the syrup.

Redpath Demerara Style Sugar is used with the coffee simple syrup as the deep earthy flavour of this sugar enhances the same flavours found in most coffees.

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

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