Wood Avens Syrup Recipe

Wood Avens Syrup

Wood Avens (Geum urbanum) are a massively abundant herb in the UK, as the common name suggests it prefers woods but it’s found growing virtually anywhere damp and shady. Although unrelated Wood Avens and Cloves both contain a chemical called eugenol that give both plants their distinctive flavour. One of the common names for Wood Avens is Clover root.

This is a fantastic recipe, that’s really simple to make and we use it to sweeten cocktails, ice creams and deserts.

Click here to identify wood avens

Ingredients:

Wood Avens root

Sugar

Water

I’ve not including quantities as I tend to make loads for samples on courses. The amounts can be altered if you stick to the 2:1 ratio for the sugar syrup and just add enough of this so that the roots are submerged completely.

Method:

1. This is the toughest part of the recipe, getting the roots cleaned. Soak the roots in plenty of cold water and wash them well. It takes a few water changes but you want to take the time to get them as clean as possible.(If they’re really mucky I blast them with the jet washer in the garden, before giving them a thorough clean in the kitchen sink).
2. Chop the larger roots into pieces. The smaller the pieces the quicker the process.
3. Make a basic sugar syrup, I use 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolve.
4. Add the roots and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Allow to cool and then decant the whole mixture into sterilised bottles or jars, and allow to infuse for 2-3 weeks.
6. Strain to remove the roots and bottle.

The finished syrup will stored in the fridge will last a few months.

Once you’ve strained off the roots don’t throw them away, they can be dried and powder and added to puddings for example apple pie or you can infuse them in Vodka to make a spicy, sweet liquor.