Fruit Syrups

On my father’s side, I am one of 50 grandchildren so my relationship with my Oma was not as personal as I would have liked. I think I have come to appreciate her much more from the vantage point of adulthood. She was a good cook. Even my mother, who was not inclined to compliment her mother-in-law, acknowledged that. In her 70s, Oma was still trying new things. The apricot trees at a new home led to sand tarts filled with preserves, for example. One of my earliest memories, is of her making us drinks in her Brampton home using fruit syrups and ginger ale. To children who got plain Kool-Aid at home, it seemed like a fancy drink. To my Oma, who lived through the privations of WW2 in Europe and then immigrated to Canada with 10 children, being able to experiment and concoct special drinks for us probably felt luxurious.  Like my Oma, I also enjoy experimenting with ingredients. These syrups are wonderful for flavouring plain yoghurt, drizzling over ice creams, custard or other desserts, and for sweetening tea.