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For the last couple of years, I have really enjoyed making jams, jellies, and syrups as a slow summer activity and a way to preserve summer flavors like berries and herbs. Making simple syrups is so much easier to make than I would have thought before I gave it a try, and it’s a fun way to add unique flavors to drinks and other treats!
I recently came across the idea of making flavored sugar and simple syrups with flowers – a trend that’s been growing in popularity, apparently. There are all kinds of edible flowers out there, including clovers! Naturally, I have a deep love for the sweet, tiny flowers I’ve built my stationery and art brand on, so I had to give clover syrup a try!
A simple syrup made with white clovers (or any other flower, herb, or fruit for that matter) is a great way to add sweetness and flavor to drinks, desserts, and other recipes. Pretty much any recipe that uses a simple syrup can use a homemade syrup instead. Using white clover syrup will add a slightly floral and green flavor to your drinks and other recipes.
Floral syrups have more applications than you might originally think! You might not find many recipes that specifically call for clover syrup, but getting a little creative will make your creations unique!
Probably the most obvious use for any simple syrup is to add sweetness to drinks. Fancy cocktails and mocktails utilize all kinds of syrups, but you don’t have to stop there. Try adding to hot and cold beverages that need any kind of sweetener. Consider the following:
While many dessert recipes don’t use syrups in the baking, they can make a great addition to finishing touches to add extra sweetness and flavor. Try a floral syrup to soak a cake and make it extra moist and flavorful, drizzle over desserts like cheesecake or panna cotta, or incorporate it into a frosting, icing, or glaze. Or toss fresh fruits in your floral syrup for a light and refreshing treat!
Dressings and vinaigrettes that call for honey, agave, or maple syrup can utilize floral syrups for a unique flavor. White clover syrup in particular is not too sweet or perfumey like some flowers can be, and clover’s slightly green and grassy flavor can pair nicely with a fresh salad or other savory flavors.
White clovers have a light, slightly sweet floral flavor that might be a little grassy or vanilla-like. They pair well with other light flavors with sweet and floral notes. Try using them in recipes that call for other types of floral syrup, or pair with flavors like vanilla, honey, mint, or citrus.
Picking the flowers to make your syrup with is half the fun! Get outside and enjoy some beautiful summer weather while gathering clover flowers and taking life slowly. Choose a spot to pick clover flowers where they’re plentiful and don’t pick too many – your pollinator friends will thank you! Avoid spots where fertilizers, pesticides, and weed killers have been applied, and avoid roadsides to keep your flowers clean. I like to pick flowers from a remote spot in our yard before my husband cuts the grass (we have tons of clover growing throughout our non-fussy yard, and picking them right before they’re about to be cut anyway means I’m not necessarily stealing from the bees).
Making a simple syrup is very simple! There are actually two ways you can go about making an infused simple syrup – making the syrup first and then adding the flavoring agent, or adding the flavor to your water and then making the syrup. I like the latter because it’s a little cleaner and I can be sure to kill any tiny bugs that sneak in with my flowers. Making white clover syrup can be boiled down to three simple steps (pun intended).
I don’t follow a recipe strictly when making infused syrups. The more flowers you gather, the more syrup you can make, or the stronger the flavor will be in a smaller batch of syrup. When you gather your flowers, you’ll want to rinse them off to remove any bugs and dirt, and remove the stems (you can also pluck off all the petals and just use those for a sweeter, more nectary flavor, but that takes a bit of time!). I used about two cups of clover flowers. You will also need water and sugar.
I start by boiling my flowers in water to infuse the flower flavor first. I used about three cups of water. You don’t need to boil them for very long – after about ten minutes or so, the flowers will lose their color as they boil, which is a pretty good indicator that the flavor has infused and they’ve been boiling long enough. Remove your flowers and water from heat and use a strainer to remove the flowers so you have nice clear, honey colored water.
Most syrup recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water. After boiling and removing the flowers from your water, add approximately an equal amount of sugar to your pot. There’s room to play around with this ratio; for thicker, sweeter syrup, you can use two parts sugar to one part water, or for a thinner, lighter syrup, you can use two parts water to one part sugar. Boil your sugar and water at least long enough for the sugar to completely dissolve in the water. Boiling for longer allows the syrup to thicken up and the flavor to become more concentrated.
Once the sugar is dissolved and you’re happy with the consistency (keeping in mind that the syrup will thicken up a little bit more as it cools), you can remove the pot from the heat and pour into jars or containers for storing. Once the syrup cools, it can be kept in the refrigerator for several months.
There are loads of edible flowers out there that you can use for making infused syrups. You can try making syrups with the following by using essentially the same steps as above:
Many herbs also infuse nicely into syrups and can pair well with sweet flavors in drinks and desserts. Try the following:
The possibilities for creative flavor pairings are endless. Mixing combinations of floral and herbal flavors with beverages and fruits can help you embrace all the sensations of spring and summer!
One of the things I love about making floral syrups and other unusual recipes is how it makes everything slow down for a while. Whether I’m foraging for flowers and berries that grow wild or picking something from my garden, the act of gathering fresh ingredients from right outside my house feels so quaint and cozy. The process of making syrups can be leisurely and meditative, even when I let my toddler lend a hand. It helps us be present in the moment to make something with so much intention!
Enjoying a drink or a treat made with your homemade syrup is just the same. I want to savor the floral goodness whenever I treat myself to a glass of iced tea with floral syrup. Beverages with homemade floral syrups are wonderful for summer hosting, whether you’re having a big party or gathering or simply having a neighbor over for a chat. They’re also great when you have a quiet moment to yourself to sit on the porch on a summer afternoon and work on a quiet activity, like reading a book, working on a creative project, or sending a handwritten note (we’re especially partial to that last one!).
For the last couple of years, I have really enjoyed making jams, jellies, and syrups as a slow summer activity and a way to preserve
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