wild fruit syrups?

[upnorthlady2]

Has anyone ever made fruit syrups with things like wild cherries or chokecherries? I have tried chokecherry syrup, but the recipe I tried last time used corn syrup in it, and I don't want to use that (more than half of our corn syrup comes from China, I was told). I just got done juicing up 2 big buckets full of wild cherries and the juice looks dark and wonderful and clear - but it is very tart like all wild fruits. I hope to make some fruit syrup to use as a topping for ice cream! I will also make some jellies from the cherries and chokecherries, but I know how to do that.

I have Googled chokecherry syrups and some recipes use a 1:1 ratio of sugar to juice, and a couple use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to juice. Can anyone provide some advice for me?

[Sheila]

Chokecherry Syrup with Pectin

4 cups chokecherry juice
1 package powdered pectin
4 cups sugar

Combine juice, sugar and pectin in a large kettle. Bring to a boil and cook until mixture coats a metal spoon (like gravy does). Pour into warm half pint or pint jars. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes at 5,000 feet or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.

Chokecherry Syrup without Pectin

4 cups chokecherry juice
1 cup light corn syrup
4 cups sugar

Combine ingredients in pan and boil for 3 minutes. Pour into warm pint or half-pint jars. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes at 5,000 feet or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.

Pioneer Chokecherry Syrup

4 cups chokecherry juice
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 cups sugar

Cook over medium heat until mixture coats the spoon (like gravy does). Refrigerate for immediate use or pour into clean hot jars and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes for half-pints at 5,000 feet or 15 minutes for pints above 6,000 feet.

[meemo]

I make syrup from wild plums. I use 2 cups sugar to 1 cup of juice. You can make fruit cordials using the opposite. 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups juice. Either way its mighty fine.
I've never tasted chokeberries. Everything I've ever heard about them was good.

[Sheila]

Well choke cherries for me is acquired taste have several friends who love them and some who don't i'm not to found of them but hubby loves them especially the syrup.What I do like is wild salmon berries or huckleberries now that is some good jam or syrup.

[Granny Smith]

I use a 2:1 ratio for syrups (2 parts sugar to one of water), cook the fruit in the syrup, then strain it. If the syrup is too sweet (or the fruit is), I add a slug of lemon juice, too. Can't tell you how much, it depends on how sweet it is and how much you're making.

[upnorthlady2]

Well I already have the extracted juice, but from everything I have read and heard, a 2 to 1 ratio of sugar to juice seems to be the thing for syrups. I will give it a try tomorrow with chokecherry juice, and also some wild cherry juice. I have a chokecherry jelly recipe I like, and for the wild cherry jelly I will use the sour cherry recipe for jelly on the Sure Jel box.

[upnorthlady2]

OK - I think I have the wild fruit syrup thing figured out. After much trial and error, and lots of jars of jelly and non-jelled stuff, I have found out that for fruit syrups made with wild fruit like wild cherries and/or chokecherries, 3 1/2 c. of extracted juice, 2 T. of lemon juice, and 4 1/2 c. sugar makes a good syrup. I also tried 4 1/2 c. juice, 3 T. lemon juice, and 5 1/2 c. sugar. In each case, I boiled the mixture for 2 or 3 min, skimmed off any foamy stuff, and put the syrup into jars. I processed 10 min in a boiling water bath. I ended up with two batches of 3 1/2 pints of each fruit syrup, and it is excellent over ice cream!!!! For syrups I didn't have to use any pectin, or any of that dreaded corn syrup which comes from China. I think I'm done with wild jelly and syrups for a while, but this weekend I will make a batch of peach preserves.