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Appelstroop
Apple syrup
Appelstroop (Limburgse stroop): dark, thick Limburg apple syrup for bread and cheese
In Dutch and Belgian Limburg, appelstroop is spread on brown bread at breakfast, often under a slice of Gouda, and it goes into the Limburg sour stew zoervleis. It is nothing but apples (with a few pears) cooked to a pulp, pressed and boiled down for hours into a glossy, almost black syrup that tastes sweet, sharp and faintly of caramel. The common mistake is stopping too early: until it coats a cold plate and holds a line, it is apple juice, not stroop. Chef's tip: in the last half hour stir constantly and lower the heat, because the thick syrup catches and burns in seconds.
- Total time
- 260 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 6 ⅝ lb sharp eating applessuch as Jonagold or Elstar, quartered, cores left in
- 2 ¼ lb pearsquartered
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 6 ⅝ lb sharp eating apples, 2 ¼ lb pears and 2 cups water in a very large pan, cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until completely soft.
45 minStep 2: Ladle the fruit into a sieve lined with muslin over a bowl and squeeze or press hard to get out all the juice. You should have about 2 litres. Discard the pulp.
Step 3: Pour the juice into a wide clean pan with 2 tbsp lemon juice and boil steadily over a medium heat, skimming any foam, for about 2½–3 hours, until reduced to about a quarter and dark amber.
165 minStep 4: Lower the heat and keep stirring for the last 20–30 minutes until the syrup is very thick and dark. Test a drop on a cold plate: it should set and wrinkle when pushed.
30 minStep 5: Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal. It keeps for months in a cool cupboard.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does appelstroop take?
- About 260 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 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 sharp eating apples?
- Pears, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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