Berry syrup is a good way to preserve the bumper harvest from your raspberry bushes. Enjoy it over a hot stack of pancakes or waffles. It is also delicious drizzled over a frosty bowl of vanilla ice cream.

• 6 cups raspberry puree
• 10 cups sugar

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

1. On day prior to making syrup, process fresh raspberries through berry screen or sieve to make the required 6 plus cups of seed-free puree. Store refrigerated in tall container.
2. Overnight there will be some settling of suspended solids. handle container and pour carefully to avoid stirring up settled solids.
3. To large non-reactive pot over (with thick bottom or use heat diffuser), add sugar, raspberry puree and lemon juice.
4. While stirring constantly, heat over high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer, while stirring, for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Carefully skim any film that forms on the surface.
5. For short-term storage, pour hot syrup into decanter bottles (and caps) that have been sanitized in boiling water. Cap bottles and invert so hot syrup has contacted all inside surfaces of the container. This method is adequate for short term, unrefrigerated storage. If keeping for more than a few days, store in the refrigerator.
6. For long-term storage, use 1-pint mason jars and two-piece lids. Prepare bottle and caps using good canning procedure. Ladle hot syrup into jars, cap and hot-water process for 10 minutes. Adjust processing time for altitude.