What can I do with syrups?

[Aparecium]

I used preserved orange peel and ginger in my baking, and now I have half a jar of orange syrup and a quarter jar of ginger syrup left over. What can I use them up in?

None of us take sugar in our drinks. Just pouring syrup over already sweet desserts seems pointless.

There must be recipes that call for syrups?

I've used ginger syrup in tagines before and other slow cooked things where you might put a bit of honey in. Or in a salad dressing instead of honey or a stir fry sauce. It doesn't go off so you don't have to use it all at once. I'd make a drizzle cake with the orange one.

I was also going to suggest drizzle cake or salad dressings.

Or for soaking trifle sponges before adding the top layers?

IME syrups don't work on drizzle cakes - they don't crystallise, just stay sticky.

I like the idea of using it in a tagine. I don't tend to use sugar in cooking mains, apart from a teaspoon in a tomato-based sauce, and a little honey when barbecueing or grilling chicken. I could brush it on duck skin, too. I guess I ought to think of it more as a condiment than an ingredient. Mmm food for thought 😉

Save them at the back of the fridge for next year.

I make sticky chicken wings using honey and orange juice, maybe something similar would work.

Cocktails!

Yes! Cocktails 🍸 🍹!

Glaze on roast meats?

Brush it on a sponge cake layer?

-I add them to icing for the top of cakes
-Add to a cake mix if making an orange cake or ginger cake. Gingerbread.

Tell me more...

Depends on what you like - personally, I would keep it simple:

Whisky/bourbon, apple juice, dash of the ginger syrup
Gin, ginger syrup, tonic

For the orange syrup - I would make a standard margarita and add a bit of it in (actually would work with the ginger too)

You could also use either as a base for mulled wine,. thinking about it

I make my own ginger syrup
( thin sliced ginger , water , muscovado sugar very gently warmed to desolve sugar the left somewhere warm like a radiator to help flavours mix. Then put in a air tight container)

Once I have used all the ginger I either reuse the syrup to make more ginger or use it in stir frys, salad dressing or meat glaze.

Or a hot drink made with a large wedge of fresh lemon a slice of ginger and a teaspoon or so of the syrup.