Basil Syrup

1. Blanch Basil

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. As you wait for the water to heat up, prepare an ice bath in a bowl. Once the water is boiling, place the ½ cup of tightly packed fresh basil leaves into a strainer. Lower the strainer into the boiling water and blanch the basil for 15 seconds, then immediately transfer the blanched basil to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Allow it to cool completely before draining.

2. Blend Basil and Corn Syrup

After draining, remove any excess moisture from the basil leaves. Combine the blanched basil and ½ cup of corn syrup in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

3. Rest and Strain

Pour the basil-corn syrup mixture into a bowl and let it stand for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. After resting, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl to remove any solid pieces.

4. Store Syrup

Store the strained basil syrup in the refrigerator for up to two days.