I made this syrup using some of the leftover wild rose petal simple syrup from the sangria I made on the weekend. We put it on waffles but it could also be used in cocktails, served with cake or ice cream for dessert, and I’m super keen to try it in a sno-cone. The flavour is bright and floral without being too sweet, and steeping the rose petals for a day when you make the simple syrup imparts a beautiful pink hue.
wild rose lemonade syrup
2/3 cup lemonade
1/3 cup wild rose petal simple syrup
juice of one lemon
1-2 tbs corn starch
1-2 tbs cold water
Mix together the lemonade, wild rose petal simple syrup, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl mix together the corn starch and cold water, stirring until smooth. Add the corn starch slurry to the boiling mixture in the saucepan, whisking until it begins to thicken. Remove the saucepan from from the heat and allow the syrup to cool. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to a week.
I have terrible luck (read: I’m bad at cooking) with thickening syrups & sauces and tend to either under- or over-thicken them, so I like to add the cornstarch a small amount at a time to ensure I don’t end up with a total gloop (I believe that is the scientific term for over-thickened syrups), and don’t over boil it or your syrup will thin out again. Cornstarch isn’t GREAT for thickening acidic syrups like this, so you have to use a little extra, or if you have arrowroot or tapioca starch they are better for this job (I do not, which is why I used corn starch. Next time, though, I will try a different starch for this).
