You can make syrup by boiling fruit with any type of sweetener, but they don’t always have a strong taste of that fruit. This is a really good way to fully extract the strawberry essence. The process of slowly soaking the berries allows the strawberries to fully release the flavor. When finished the strawberries almost have a texture of dried fruit that has soaked in water for a bit.
They are still really flavorful, and much sweeter from the sugar they absorbed, but not nearly as strong in flavor after soaking. Instead, the flavor leaches out of the fruit and blends with the sugar creating this wonderful syrup. You want to use ripe strawberries for this, because they contain the strongest flavor. You also want to make sure they are thoroughly clean since you are soaking for two weeks. I usually just place them in a bowl and pour in the vinegar and baking soda. Then cover completely in cold water. This allows all the tiny particles in each seed crevasse to break up and rinse off. It also removes the little fibers attached to the seeds. Once done I strain off the water allow to air dry or pat with a paper towel, and then cut the tops.
Don’t just throw those tops out. You can either feed to your chickens like I do, or you can turn them into some strawberry vinegar. Be sure to place these in a glass container. This will prevent the natural oils in the fruit from breaking down the plastic. It takes about 1 week for the sugar to fully dissolve, but I prefer to allow it to soak for at least two full weeks.
After it’s done you can use the syrup any way you want. We used it in some fun summer slush drinks, and some sourdough muffins. If you like to make fun drinks at home with or without alcohol this syrup will give them the perfect strawberry flavor.
Simply adding the syrup to some carbonated water was a nice break from the normal drinks in the house. You could even add a little lime or lemon and make a refreshing strawberry limeade or lemonade. Store the syrup in the fridge and pop it out when you want something delicious!
Strawberry Syrup
Ingredients
- 1-2 pints fresh strawberries
- 1-2 cups sugar
- 1 large mason jar or glass container with lid
- 2 tbsp baking soda
- ¼ cup vinegar
- Water
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean strawberries by placing in a bowl with water, vinegar, and baking soda. Allow them to soak 2-3 minutes then rinse and remove green tops. Slice and place strawberries into a glass jar a little at a time adding sugar over the top to fill in the gaps. Continue until the entire container is full. Cover and place in the refrigerator for two weeks. During the two weeks occasionally shake the continents by flipping the container upside down and back up a few times. This will allow the settled sugar to fully dissolve.
- After the two weeks strain the syrup using a fine sieve. Save the strawberries for using in baked goods, and bottle syrup in air tight containers to use in drinks, over ice cream or pancakes, or to flavor baked goods.
Leave a Reply