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“Bilberry and Hawthorn Berry Apple Cider Reduction Syrup"

Makes about 4 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. organic dried hawthorn berries
• 1/2 lb. organic dried bilberries or 1 lb. fresh/frozen blueberries
• 1 gallon organic apple cider (sweet cider, not hard cider)

Directions

1. Put berries and apple cider in a pot without a lid and bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Adjust heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half.
3. Strain out berries.
4. Return strained syrup to the pot and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half again. If you would like a thicker syrup, you can continue cooking to reduce it even further.
5. Set aside to cool a bit and then pour into a quart-size jar with an airtight lid. Remember to label with name and date made.
6. Boiled cider will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Pro Tip: Here’s an easy trick to see if your liquid has been reduced by half. Before cooking, use a wooden skewer, long wooden spoon, wooden ruler, or similar item to “measure” the depth of your liquid—put it in the juice/berry mixture to touch the bottom of the pot and mark a line on the skewer where the liquid hits. Measure half-way down from that mark and make another line. Now you can use this “measuring stick” to determine when you reach the half-way mark. When you strain out the berries, repeat the process so you can measure again when your syrup reaches the half-way mark.”