A Trio of Flavored Infusions or Syrups for Lemonade Etc!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar

Variations

• 1 fresh vanilla bean
• fresh herbs such as rosemary sprig or lemon verbena leaves or mint leaf or basil leaves
• lemon peel strip
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger

Directions

1. 1

   In a saucepan combine water and sugar. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

2. 2

   Add one of the infusions; boil gently, uncovered, for 2 minutes more.

3. 3

   Remove from heat; cover and cool in saucepan for 1 hour. Remove and discard infusion ingredients.

4. 4

   Transfer syrup to a clean covered storage container. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks, or may be frozen. Makes 2 cups syrup.

5. 5

   VARIATIONS:.

6. 6

   VANILLA INFUSION: Add one fresh vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, to the hot sugar-water mixture. If desired, after cooling, remove the vanilla bean and use the tip of a small knife to scrape the seeds from the beans into the syrup (flecks of dark seeds will color the crystal-clear syrup).

7. 7

   FRESH HERB INFUSION: Add three 3-to-4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary; 3/4 cup lemon-verbena or mint leaves, slightly crushed; or 3/4 cup basil leaves, slightly crushed, to the hot sugar-water mixture.

8. 8

   LEMON-GINGER INFUSION: Add three 1x3-inch strips of lemon peel and a 1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced, to the hot sugar-water mixture.