SYRUP STOKER
In the southern hills of Limburg, the Steinschuld-Franssen family upholds an age-old tradition. ‘When autumn arrives, apples and pears are harvested from the rare tall-stemmed fruit trees. These are used to make syrup, a Limburg tradition the family inherited from its ancestors.
This process takes several days and nights and results in a beautiful product. “Our syrup consists purely of 60 percent pears and 40 percent apples. This contrasts with the syrup from the factory that contains sugar beets and other additives. As a result, our syrup has a very distinct taste, slightly more acidic compared to the syrup from the factory,” says Annemarie.
Besides the beautiful product, the syrup distillers are also of ecological importance to their environment. This is because the tall-stemmed fruit tree is a special and important variety typical of the region.
For centuries, people in South Limburg have been planting seeds and seedlings of apples, pears, plums, and cherries around their homes. This wealth of different fruit trees contains a source of genetic fruit varieties. This biodiversity has shaped the landscape.
After World War II, there was a preference for the newly created low-stemmed fruit trees which created a more commercial fruit cultivation due to the more easier picking process. The craft of syrup distilling was thus compromised; in the late 1970s, the last professional syrup distiller Pierre Deckers quit, and the craft officially no longer existed.
Around that time a group of enthusiasts took up the craft and the tradition. They united in the Slow Food Presidium Limburg Stroop. High-stemmed orchards are being planted again. The demand for artisanal South Limburg syrup is on the rise again.