How to Make Oleo-Saccharum

5.0

(1)

4 Reviews

Lemon peels and sugar work their magic to form this beautiful, bright and sunny syrup that is great on everything from drinks to pancakes.

By Michael Dietsch

Michael Dietsch Michael Dietsch is a barfly, boozehound, book hoarder, jazz fiend, and technographer. He has two cookbooks and writes about cocktails for Serious Eats.

Serious Eats' Editorial Guidelines

Updated on November 1, 2026

Credit: Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Starting with lemon peels instead of juice captures the potent citrus oils for maximum flavor.

An overnight rest muddled with sugar lets the lemon peels release their juices without much active extraction.

White granulated sugar dissolves quickly when the syrup is incorporated into drinks.

What is oleo-saccharum? First, let’s dissect the word itself. Oleo: oil or fat. Saccharum: sugar.…