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Sirop de Liège
Sirop de Liège: thick dark apple and pear spread from Liège and Herve
Sirop de Liège is the sticky, almost black fruit spread of the Pays de Herve and Liège, made each autumn by cooking apples, pears and dates for hours, pressing out the juice and boiling it down until it sets like soft liquorice. It is spread on bread with soft cheese, stirred into the sauce for boulets liégeois and served with cheese boards. A common mistake is stopping too soon; it should coat a spoon thickly and set firm when cooled. Chef's tip: cook it very slowly in a heavy pan in the last hour, stirring often, as it catches easily once thick.
- Total time
- 570 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the sirop
- 4 ⅜ lb applesquartered, unpeeled
- 4 ⅜ lb pearsquartered, unpeeled
- 5 ½ oz pitted dates
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 4 ⅜ lb apples, 4 ⅜ lb pears, 5 ½ oz pitted dates and 4 ¼ cups water in a large pot. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours, until completely soft.
90 minStep 2: Pour into a cloth-lined colander over a bowl and squeeze out all the juice. Discard the pulp.
Step 3: Boil the juice in a wide, heavy pan for 6–7 hours over a medium-low heat, skimming at first, until reduced to about 500 ml.
420 minStep 4: Add 2 tbsp lemon juice and cook very slowly for the last 30 minutes, stirring often, until it coats a spoon thickly. Common mistake: stopping too soon.
30 minStep 5: Pour into sterilised jars. It sets as it cools. Keeps a year.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 50 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sirop de Liège take?
- About 570 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 540 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 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 apples?
- Pears, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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