Japanese Knotweed Syrup is a modern British recipe for a classic quick pickle of Japanese knotweed stem rounds in a spiced vinegar, water and sugar pickle. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Japanese Knotweed Syrup.
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Japanese knotweed syrup is a vibrant pink in colour and can be used as a squash by diluting with carbonated or still water. It can also be added as a mixer to alcoholic drinks and gives them a bit of a tang. It's also excellent poured over pancakes
Ascorbic acid is the chemical name of vitamin C and you can readily buy it online. It helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing out and also aids in preserving the syrup.
Ingredients:
550ml water
700g sugar
300g chopped Japanese knotweed stems, leaves and tips removed
3 tbsp ascorbic acid powder
Method:
Bring the water to a boil in a large pan then stir in the sugar and keep stirring until its all dissolved. At this point turn off the heat.
Stir the chopped knotweed into the hot syrup then cover the pan. Set aside to steep for 24 hours.
At the end of this time pour the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve to strain out the knotweed then pour through a coffee filter to remove all the fine debris (the knotweed pieces make an excellent pie filling).
Remove 200ml of the pink syrup, and warm it in a small saucepan. Add the ascorbic acid powder, stirring to dissolve. Pour this back into the rest of the syrup and stir.
Store in air-tight containers at room temperature where it will keep for 3-6 months.
