Mulberry syrup (sharab el toot)

Serve with cold water for the kids or with something stronger for the adults, this Lebanese drink is perfect as the summer sets in.

• makes

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

"Growing up with mulberries always meant either fresh or stewed with sugar but our dear friend Samira Saab who is queen of the Lebanese kitchen and a brilliant home cook, shared this delightful recipe handed down through her family. Sharab El Toot, with its delightful name, is the best drink on earth and packed with iron, riboflavin, vitamins and trace elements…perfect with iced or sparkling water and possibly a magnificent pairing with alcohol." Maeve O'Meara, Food Safari Earth

Ingredients

• 3 kg mulberries (there’s no need to wash or remove the stalks)
• 1.65 kg sugar, approximately
• squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

Working in batches, place the mulberries in a food processor and purée until smooth. Pour the puree into a muslin bag over a bowl and squeeze firmly to extract all the juice. Discard the seeds. This should give you approximately 1.5 litres of juice.

Measure out the mulberry juice into a saucepan and for every 250 ml (1 cup) of juice, add 275 g (1¼ cups sugar. Stirring continuously, cook over low heat until the syrup comes to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and remove from heat. Allow to cool before pouring into sterilised glass bottles. Seal, then store in a cool dark place. Once opened store in the refrigerator. Serve as you would for cordial, with lots of ice and cold water.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

"Growing up with mulberries always meant either fresh or stewed with sugar but our dear friend Samira Saab who is queen of the Lebanese kitchen and a brilliant home cook, shared this delightful recipe handed down through her family. Sharab El Toot, with its delightful name, is the best drink on earth and packed with iron, riboflavin, vitamins and trace elements…perfect with iced or sparkling water and possibly a magnificent pairing with alcohol." Maeve O'Meara, Food Safari Earth