Forsythia Flower Syrup

Spring has its first signs — one of them is blooming forsythia. Its intensely yellow flowers appear very early and that's exactly when it's worth collecting them for homemade syrup. It's best to do this at full bloom, on a dry and sunny day, choosing plants growing far from roads and other polluted places.

To prepare the syrup, you need forsythia flowers, water, sugar and lemon. You'll also need just a pot, strainer or cheesecloth, and clean jars or bottles. The most commonly used proportions are about 2 cups of flowers, 1 liter of water, 500 g of sugar and juice from 1 lemon.

Preparation is simple and peaceful, like most homemade spring preserves. The flowers are gently cleaned and sorted through. Water is boiled with sugar, and lemon juice is added at the end. The flowers are added to the slightly cooled syrup, everything is covered and set aside for about a day. After this time, the syrup should be strained and poured into clean containers.

The finished syrup can be added to tea, water or other homemade beverages. It's a simple way to preserve a bit of spring for longer and return to it even when the forsythia flowers have already finished blooming.