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Swing-top jar of spiced winter citrus syrup with orange slices and a cinnamon stick next to halved blood oranges

Winter Citrus Syrup

A bright, spiced winter citrus syrup made with blood oranges, oranges, lemon, cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Use it in cocktails, mocktails, hot tea, lattes, lemonade or over pancakes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Steeping 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 18 servings (2 tbsp)
Course: Condiment, Drinks
Cuisine: American
Calories: 50
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Syrup base
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
  • 1 cup water 240 ml, filtered if possible
  • 1 pinch fine salt
Citrus
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice from about 2 navel or Cara Cara oranges
  • 1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice from 2 to 3 blood oranges, or more orange or tangerine juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice from about 2 lemons or Meyer lemons
  • 5 strips orange zest wide strips, removed with a vegetable peeler, little white pith
  • 3 strips lemon zest wide strips
Whole spices
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise pods
  • 4 whole cloves optional; use 2 for a milder syrup
  • 3 thin slices fresh ginger optional

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Citrus juicer
  • Fine-mesh sieve
  • Glass jar or swing-top bottle 16 to 20 oz

Method
 

Prep the citrus
  1. Scrub the fruit. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from 1 orange and 1 lemon, pressing lightly to avoid the bitter white pith.
  2. Juice the oranges, blood oranges and lemons separately and strain out the seeds. Measure 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup blood orange juice and 1/4 cup lemon juice.
Cook the syrup
  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the sugar, water and salt until the sugar fully dissolves and the liquid is clear, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the zest strips, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Pour in the orange and blood orange juice. Keep at a bare simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the syrup lightly coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil hard.
Steep, strain and store
  1. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, cover and steep for 20 minutes (up to 45 minutes for a stronger spice flavor).
  2. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve (line it with a coffee filter for a clearer syrup) into a heatproof jug. Do not press on the solids.
  3. Cool to room temperature, pour into a clean glass jar or bottle, seal and refrigerate. The syrup thickens slightly as it chills.

Notes

Yield: about 2 1/4 cups (18 servings of 2 tablespoons).
Storage: keeps about 2 weeks in the refrigerator in a clean, sealed glass jar. Freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months; one cube is about 2 tablespoons.
Avoid bitterness: remove as much white pith from the zest as possible and do not simmer whole citrus slices for long.
Thicker syrup for pancakes: use 1 1/2 cups sugar and simmer 5 minutes longer.
Quick drinks: 1 oz syrup + 5 oz sparkling water over ice; or 1 to 2 tablespoons stirred into hot tea.
Nutrition is an estimate per 2-tablespoon serving, calculated from the ingredients.