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Sharbat-e albaloo
Sharbat-e albaloo (شربت آلبالو): sour cherry syrup for iced summer drinks
In early summer, when sour cherries arrive from the orchards around Karaj and Mashhad, families make a big batch of sharbat-e albaloo, the deep ruby syrup that is mixed with iced water for guests through the hot months. It is sweet, sharp and very refreshing, and the cooked cherries left over are not wasted: they go into albaloo polo, the cherry rice. A splash of the syrup also goes over shaved ice or yogurt. Chef's tip: stop cooking as soon as the syrup coats a spoon thinly; overcooked syrup loses its fresh cherry flavour and tastes of jam.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the syrup
To serve, per glass
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ⅛ lb sour cherries and their juice in a pan with the 1 ⅛ lb sugar and 1 ¼ cups water. Leave for 15 minutes so the sugar starts to draw out the juice.
15 minStep 2: Bring slowly to the boil over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for 15–20 minutes. Skim off the pink foam as it rises.
20 minStep 3: Add the 2 tbsp lemon juice juice and simmer 3 minutes more. The syrup is ready when it is deep red and coats the back of a spoon thinly, at about 225°F. Common mistake: squeezing the cherries through the sieve, which clouds the syrup.
3 minStep 4: Strain through a fine sieve without pressing; keep the cherries in the fridge for rice dishes. Pour the hot syrup into clean, hot bottles, seal and cool. Refrigerated, it keeps 3 months.
5 minStep 5: For each glass, add 3–4 tbsp of syrup to the 4 ice cubes and top up with the ¾ cup cold water. Stir and add 2 fresh mint leaves, if using.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sharbat-e albaloo take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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