Sekanjabin or Persian mint vinegar syrup is a traditional Persian syrup made by infusing fresh mint leaves with honey or sugar, vinegar, and water. It has a refreshing and mildly sweet and sour flavor with a distinct mint aroma. Sekanjabin is usually served as a dip with crisp lettuce or it can be mixed with cold water and finely chopped or grated cucumbers to create a refreshing mint-flavored drink.
About This Recipe
Sekanjabin or Persian mint vinegar syrup is a cool and crisp amber-colored syrup that is a staple in every Iranian’s kitchen. A little mint syrup adds a lovely minty sweetness and bright flavor to summer drinks. You can also serve it as a dip with lettuce.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Uses pantry ingredients: Homemade mint syrup is one of the simplest ways to preserve the taste of summer for the rest of the year. This recipe is incredibly easy to make and you can find all the ingredients already in your kitchen.
- Fridge-friendly: This syrup is usually prepared in spring and summer, but the good news is that you can store it for months in a jar in the fridge.
- Perfect for summer: Using mint and vinegar syrup you can make amazingly sweet and refreshing drinks for sunny summer days!
What You Need to Make Mint Vinegar Syrup
- Sugar: Balances out the strong flavor of the mint and vinegar. In the traditional recipe, Sekanjabin was made with honey, but in modern recipes, honey is replaced with sugar. Use white sugar or cane sugar for this recipe.
- White wine vinegar: White vinegar adds a tangy and acidic flavor to the Persian mint syrup, which can balance out the sweetness.
- Fresh mint leaves: The fresh mint leaves infuse the syrup with incredible minty freshness.
How to Make Sekanjabin?
- Pour the sugar and water into a saucepan. Place over high heat stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a simmer. Boiling the syrup over medium-low heat prevents the sugar from crystallizing.
- Rinse the mint leaves under cold running water.
- Add mint sprigs to the warm and simmering syrup.
- Continue heating until the syrup thickens. To make sure our syrup has the right thickness to add vinegar, just take a spoonful of the syrup and pour a drop of it into a glass of cold water. If it settles, it means that it has a suitable thickness, but if it dissolves in water, it means that it still needs to be simmered for a while.
- When the syrup reaches the right thickness, add the vinegar and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Then take the mint leaves out of the syrup and pass the syrup through a strainer.
- Pour the syrup into a clean glass container without moisture and put it in the refrigerator.
How To Use Sekanjabin Syrup?
Sekanjabin can be served in several ways. To serve Sekanjabin as a drink (mixed with water), fill one-third of a tall glass with cooled Sekanjabin syrup, add grated cucumber, fill the glass with ice cubes top it off with cold water. Serve Sharbat Sekanjabin alongside a Persian dish.
Sekanjabin can also be served with lettuce. In the warm season, it is better to drink Sekanjabin with cold water. If you are planning to make this drink for gatherings, it is recommended that you try it with cucumber. To do this, after mixing the Sekanjabin with water, you can also grate a cucumber on it. In the cold season, it is better to use lukewarm to slightly warm water to make mint syrup drinks.
FAQs
Why Is Sekanjabin Syrup Crystallized?
One common problem you may face when preparing various syrups is the crystallization that occurs once the syrups are refrigerated. When the syrup is made with a high sugar-to-water ratio, the chance of sugar crystallizing is high. To prevent the syrup from crystallizing, after removing it from the heat, allow it to reach room temperature and then pour it into clean jars and put it in the refrigerator.
What Is the Best Way to Store Persian Mint Vinegar Syrup?
Store the syrup in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 months.
Did you like the Sekanjabin recipe? Try my virgin Mojito with Sprite as well! Leave your comment below and If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photos #yummynotes 
Ingredients
- 1kg sugar
- 2 cup water
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 100gr fresh mint
Instructions
Step 1
Pour the sugar and water into a saucepan. Place over high heat stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a simmer. Boiling the syrup over medium-low heat prevents the sugar from crystallizing.
Step 2
Rinse the mint leaves under cold running water.
Step 3
Add mint sprigs to the warm and simmering syrup.
Step 4
Continue heating until the syrup thickens. To make sure our syrup has the right thickness to add vinegar, just take a spoonful of the syrup and pour a drop of it into a glass of cold water. If it settles, it means that it has a suitable thickness, but if it dissolves in water, it means that it still needs to be simmered for a while.
Step 5
When the syrup reaches the right thickness, add the vinegar and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Then take the mint leaves out of the syrup and pass the syrup through a strainer.
Step 5
To prevent the syrup from crystallizing, after removing it from the heat, allow it to reach room temperature and then pour it into clean airtight container and put it in the refrigerator.
