Homemade strawberry syrup is a must make this summer. It captures the essence of summer in a simple syrup that compliments everything from cocktails to homemade popsicles. I even drizzled it over cake, and it was perfect!
When I was a kid, early in the summer, my grandpa would come calling, looking for some helping hands who were willing to go to the U-Pick-Em strawberry patch and fill bushel after bushel of berries. As his only grandchild, many times, I was the willing partner. We would head over, taking all of the back country roads, and spend the morning in the sun, bent over, picking the best berries. My grandpa, Popaw, would always poke through and make sure you had some berries with some green showing yet, as this added the right tartness to all of the wonderful things he would make with his haul. We would spend days cleaning, coring and slicing the berries. Some would become jam and jelly. Some were frozen for pies and shortcakes when the season had passed. Some were enjoyed on the spot naturally.
My Popaw passed away in 1999. I was 19 years old. I have missed him everyday since then. I can't pass a U-Pick-Em berry patch without stopping for at least a quart of fresh berries, with a little green showing on a few for balance. From one batch of fresh berries I made this wonderful simple syrup. It is so sweet, and it has the essence of summer just waiting to add something special to whatever you desire.
Add a splash to lemonade for a refreshing treat, or maybe add some to your sprite like my daughter likes to do for a pretty pink strawberry soda. I like to add it to vodka in the summer while I sip the stress of the day away.
All you need is berries, sugar and water to pull this off.
Ingredients:
Water- 1 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cups
Strawberries, cored 2 cups
Place the cored berries into a sauce pan.
Add water.
Add sugar.
Simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
Place a mesh sieve over a mason jar.
Pour the mixture into the sieve, pressing the berries with a spoon to release the juices.
Discard the berry mash left in the sieve. (I like to feed it to the birds, but do so away from your house, as it will draw bees too.)
Store with a lid, in the fridge for a month.
Add a splash into cocktails or soda.
Drizzle it on white cake for a colorful and sweet berry flavor.
Make homemade strawberry soda by adding it to club soda.
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out all of my homemade soda recipes.
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