LYCHEE SYRUP

      What would you do when you land up with a lot of fresh Lychees, and a few tins of canned lychees, devour the fresh juicy fruit as fresh as it is.  And as the days go by and a few batches still lying out in the refrigerator staring at me with wide red-eyes, the never ending plan of converting it into some recipe or the other, pops into my head.  Pudding?!!! Sorbet?!!!  Or go to the extent of converting it into Lychee Syrup???

    Well, though making Syrups seemed tedious in the beginning and once I got the knack for it, I realized it is one simple recipe which just need a bit of time and patience.   In recent years I have been making my own Rose Syrups, Nannari (Sarsaparilla Syrup), Lemon Syrup, Caramel Syrup, Apple Syrup, Coffee Syrup etc., that now I have a bit of confidence to convert fruit juices into syrups.  And also, it is one best way to preserve the produce, when you have them in abundance.

    Along with Lychee comes the memory of our first trip to Thailand. Then it happened to be their National Tourism Week, and they handed a big packet of fresh Lychees to each passenger landing up at Swarnabhoomi International Airport at Bangkok.  We had all together 4 big packets of Lychees.  Though we had them in our hands, we were all busy getting our Entry Visa done and waiting for the Taxi.  Suddenly, an old lady pulled my hand. Alarmed and shocked at the same time, I turned to her... There beside me was a pleasant looking Old Lady, with a pleasant smile & beaming with pride, she said these Lychees are from Chiang Mai, enjoy them!!! Me, with my wide & amused smile, thanked her and said I will surely eat them right away.  To the word, we gobbled up a whole packet of Lychees within no time.  They were so fresh, tasty, juicy and the memorable Lychee flavour (my first acquaintance). Went back to the counter and got hold of two more packets. I still remember the day with all those evening twilight in Bangkok Airport waiting for our taxi to Pattaya, fresh Lychee and the sweet old lady. The whole stay I stored the Lychee in the hotel room refrigerator and had it heartily.  Even I bought back home a packet of Lychees, which we couldn't finish off. The reminiscence of these anecdotes, travel with me even after all these years, and I still relate Lychees to our trip to Thailand.

    Water, Sugar, and Lychees are all you need to easily make this lychee syrup at home.  Boil Sugar & Water along with fresh/canned Lychees until it reaches one string consistency or becomes slightly thick & sticky all together. Finally, add a few teaspoons of Lemon Juice, strain it and there you go with a Lychee syrup ready to add taste and aroma to the dishes.

LYCHEE SYRUP

This Lychee syrup has equal parts of water and sugar, lychees.

• This is Lychee Syrup and what you would need are Lychees – You can use fresh Lychees if available.  Peel and discard the skin and seed.  Can use canned Lychees too, just be sure to drain the lychees before using.
  
• Then what you require is Sugar – White Sugar – I have used white sugar in this recipe, which will help you to retain the natural white colour. Add a dash of lime juice to avoid crystallization. 
• Then you would need Water.

    Just 2 simple ingredients and you would be rewarded with a wonderfully fruity Lychee syrup.  This easy and extremely versatile Lychee Syrup is sure to elevate your desserts, drinks, cocktails, and mocktails. This Lychee Syrup can be added to almost anything in which you would love to have a note of tropical flavour in it. It will leave you with an elegantly sweet, dainty, and exotic fruity note. 

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HOW TO MAKE LYCHEE SYRUP - HOMEMADE LYCHEE SYRUP

LYCHEE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS: 

For Lychee Syrup:

METHOD:

• If using fresh Lychees, peel off the skin and cut the lychees and remove the seed. 
• Then rinse the Lychees well and leave it in a colander for a few minutes.
• Then cut them into small pieces and grind it into a coarse paste.
  
• In a Saucepan, pour in the water and add sugar into it.
• Stir well to combine, and boil it over a medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved completely.
• Now, add the puréed Lychees and give a quick stir.
• Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
• Boil this over a low flame for about 30 minutes.
• Pour in the Lemon Juice and cook for about 5 more minutes.
• Boil the Syrup until it reaches one string consistency.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool down for a few minutes.
• When the mixture is warm, strain the syrup. 
• Once the Lychee Syrup cools down completely, store it in a sterilized glass jar or bottle.
• Lychee syrup stays fresh for up to 6 months when stored in a dark, cool place. 
• For a longer shelf life, store the Lychee Syrup in the refrigerator. 

LYCHEE SYRUP

NOTES:

• I have used white sugar in this Lychee syrup recipe. Brown sugar may darken the Syrup, but if you prefer, substitute White Sugar with Brown Sugar.
• I had a can of Lychees and some fresh Lychees, So used about a Cup of both in the recipe.
  
• Adding Lemon juice while making the syrup is to prevent it from crystallization, and it also acts as a preservative. 
• Boil the Syrup until it reaches one string consistency.
• The Syrup gets slightly thicker after cooling down. 
• Store Lychee Syrup in the refrigerator. This will increase the Shelf life of the Syrup.
• I have added no preservatives or artificial colouring in this Homemade Lychee Syrup.

How to use Lychee Syrup?

LYCHEE SYRUP

LYCHEE JUICE

LYCHEE LEMONADE

LYCHEE MARTINI

LYCHEE PUDDING

 

• For Lychee Juice – Add this Lychee syrup to plain water & top it up with some Ice cubes.  For a variation, can mix it in Soda.  Or add a dash of Lime/Lemon and serve it with a few leaves of Mint.
• Make a simple tea and add a hint of Lychee Syrup in it.
  
• Add a teaspoon of Lychee Syrup into your limeade or lemonade, for a lychee flavoured Lime/Lemon drink.
• Or add it to your Cocktails, Mocktails, Mimosas, Martinis or sparkling drinks.  
• Can add Lychee Syrup while making Lychee Pudding.