• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
the practical kitchen
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Breads
      • Bagels
      • Biscuits, Scones & Loaves
      • Sourdough
    • Breakfast
      • Muffins
    • Condiments & Dips
    • Desserts
      • Bars & Brownies
      • Cakes
      • Cookies
      • Ice Cream
      • Pies & Tarts
    • Main Dishes
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
  • About
  • Shop
  • Newsletter
  • Tip Jar
    • Amazon
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments & Dips
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
  • About
  • Shop
  • Newsletter
  • Tip Jar
    • Amazon
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Condiments & Dips

    30-Minute Simple Strawberry Syrup for Drinks

    5 from 2 votes
    Published by Rebecca Eisenberg ⁠— August 16, 2021 (updated June 20, 2023) — 13 Comments

    227 shares
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This post may contain affiliate links

    strawberry soda syrup recipe

    Looking to add a touch of sweetness and fruity flavor to your favorite beverages? This homemade simple strawberry syrup is great for cocktails or to add a splash of flavor to SodaStream carbonated water, club soda, or tonic!

    Made with just a handful of ingredients and fresh strawberries, this easy-to-follow recipe is a great way to add a burst of strawberry flavor to your favorite drinks.

    two small rectangular bottles of strawberry syrup lie on a white surface surrounded by strawberry halves, lemon peels, and strawberry soda drinks

    If you're looking for a berry concentrate for beverages, this strawberry sweetener is a great way to use up some wrinkled berries (perhaps leftover after making some of my other strawberry recipes) or adding a splash of flavor to your usual sparkling water or cocktails!

    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Simple Strawberry Syrup
    • How to Use Simple Strawberry Syrup
    • Practical Tips & Recipe Notes
    • Strawberry Soda Syrup FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    About This Recipe

    I made this strawberry simple syrup for the first time in pastry school and loved it so much. When we bought a SodaStream a few weeks later, it quickly became a favorite way to flavor the carbonated water.

    I also love using it to flavor my iced teas in the summer.

    a small glass of iced tea with a spherical ice cube and strawberry soda syrup in it. a bottle of strawberry syrup is behind it.

    The other reason I started making this simple strawberry syrup for beverages is because, quite frankly, I think I'm cursed when it comes to buying strawberries.

    Within a day of bringing them home, they're shriveling and wrinkly and not super appetizing to eat. But they're not moldy, either. And there's only so many lemon berry blondies two people can eat!

    So I started taking those wrinkled strawberries and turning them into this simple strawberry syrup for drinks. It's such a...well, simple process, and it extends the shelf life of the strawberries by at least a week or two! (More if you freeze it!)

    Why This Recipe Works

    Cooking the strawberries and lemon peels before you add water allows them to start breaking down and releasing their juices. The oils in the lemon peel warm up and start mingling with the natural sugars in the strawberries.

    Then you add the water, which is just really good at quickly sucking all the flavor and color out of the strawberries. Reducing the water intensifies the flavor, making a concentrated strawberry juice.

    Adding the lemon peels and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end isn't so much about adding lemon flavor as it is about adding a bit of tartness (from the acid) and helping to intensify the flavor of the berries. It also keeps the syrup from tasting, uh, medicinal.

    three glasses of strawberry soda with ice garnished with strawberry halves and lemon peel

    Ingredient Notes

    Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this simple berry syrup! See recipe card (at the end of the post) for quantities.

    all the strawberry soda ingredients measured out and labeled.
    • Strawberries - Half a pound of fresh strawberries, washed well and cut into quarters.
    • Lemon peel - Use a peeler to remove the peel from a lemon. Try not to get too much of the bitter white pith.
    • Water - You'll start with 10 ounces of water but will infuse and reduce it with the strawberries. When you strain the strawberries and lemon peel out you should have about 5-7 ounces of water. You may even have closer to 8 ounces! It can really vary wildly.
    • Sugar - Plain white granulated sugar. The recipe calls for 5 ounces, but you may need more or less depending on how much your water reduces!
    • Lemon juice - Just a squeeze at the end for a bit of acid!

    How to Make Simple Strawberry Syrup

    a lemon and its peel on a light green cutting board with a peeler and bowl of fresh strawberries next to it.

    Peel the lemon, avoiding as much of the bitter white pith as you can.

    a pile of lemon peel and quartered strawberries with their stems removed on a green cutting board with a white handled paring knife.

    Remove the stems from the strawberries and cut them into quarters.

    Measure the weight of the strawberries after removing the stems. You want 8 ounces (aka half a pound) of strawberry pieces for this recipe, and the stems don't count!

    pouring water into a pot of strawberries, lemon peel, and a pinch of salt.

    Cook the strawberries, lemon peel, and salt down until soft, then add the water.

    a pot of strawberries and lemon peel vigorously bubbling, the entire surface of the water covered in pale pink bubbles.

    Bring to a vigorous boil and let reduce at an active boil for 10-15 minutes.

    Stir the strawberry mixture occasionally as it boils to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

    The goal is for the water to reduce by about half during this time. Be patient, it can take 10-15 minutes!

    pouring the strawberry juice through a strainer into a measuring cup on a kitchen scale to remove the chunks.

    Pour the strawberry juice through a strainer into a heat-proof container.

    using a spatula to gently lift the berries in the strainer to release more juices.

    Lift and stir the strawberries in the strainer to release more juices.

    Do NOT press the berries through the strainer. You ONLY want the juice, not the berry pulp. If you get any pulp in there, it will ferment and you don't want that.

    It's super important that you weigh the strained strawberry juice before adding sugar. You can do this as you strain it, or wipe out the pot and weigh the juice in the pot since it will go back on the stove later anyway.

    This strawberry syrup recipe uses a 1:1 ratio of equal parts strawberry juice and sugar, and the amount of juice you have will depend on how much the water reduced.

    Ideally you'll have around 5-6 ounces of strawberry juice (a sign that you successfully reduced the 10 ounces of water by half). But "reduced by half" is hard to eyeball, and you might end up with 6 ounces of strawberry juice or even closer to 8 ounces of strawberry juice.

    Weighing the juice is the only way to know how much sugar you'll need so that the sugar thickens the syrup to the right consistency!

    the strawberry syrup in a measuring cup on a kitchen scale displaying 7.85 ounces.

    Weigh the strawberry juice concentrate to find out how much sugar you need.

    a bowl of sugar on a kitchen scale the display reading 7.85 ounces.

    Then weigh out an equal amount of sugar.

    Stir the juice and sugar together in the pot off heat to make sure the sugar isn't clumped together.

    Put the pot back over high heat and do not stir. We want the sugar crystals to dissolve, and sugar crystals love trying to reform their crystalline shape.

    When you stir the sugar and water together, sugar crystals cling to the wall of the pot and the spoon and encourage recrystallization in the syrup.

    To clean those sugar crystals clinging to the wall of the pot, dip a pastry brush in water and brush it along the inner walls of the pot. This dissolves the sugar crystals so you get a syrup that is smooth and syrupy, not crystallized!

    using a pastry brush to brush water on the walls of the pot to dissolve the sugar crystals.

    Crank the heat to high and bring the strawberry syrup to a boil.

    When I say you're going to "bring it to a boil" I do mean a vigorous boil. Don't set your timer until you're seeing bubbles across at least 75% of the surface of the pot.

    At that point you can reduce the heat a little bit (e.g. from high to medium) while it boils for one minute. Again, DO NOT STIR.

    sugar syrup boiling vigorously in a pot.

    Sugar absorbs heat really well — it will continue boiling even with the heat slightly reduced. Reducing the heat slightly at this step helps prevent the sugar temp from getting too hot and turning into hard candy.

    After 60 seconds of boiling, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool. Once it's cool, it's safe to stir.

    The syrup will seem quite loose and liquid when it's hot, but will thicken into a more syrup-like consistency as it cools.

    Once it cools, you can pour it into a bottle or container to store for use!

    pouring the strawberry concentrate for beverages into a glass bottle through a funnel.

    I used to feel super guilty throwing away the strawberry pieces after using them to infuse the water. It seemed wasteful! But I don't want you to feel that way.

    The strawberries have done their job. They're gross and pale and flavorless at that point; there's nothing more they can give you.

    You've given them new life and purpose as this berry syrup — which will last a good two weeks longer than the berries would have on their own!

    How to Use Simple Strawberry Syrup

    Strawberry simple syrup is great for drinks but can be used in a lot of other ways too!

    • As a strawberry cake soak for cakes, cupcakes, ladyfingers, etc.
    • Drizzled over slices of homemade vanilla pound cake or fresh strawberry pound cake.
    • As a mixer for cocktails like gin and tonics, vodka sodas, mint juleps, margaritas, and more!
    • As a glaze for fresh fruit on top of tarts and pies.
    • As syrup on pancakes and waffles.
    • As a strawberry sweetener in smoothies, lemonade, iced tea, etc.
    • On top of ice cream! Yes, really!
    • To sweeten yogurt with granola and berries.
    • As a strawberry concentrate for beverages like carbonated water or soda syrup.

    This berry syrup is heavier than water and will sink to the bottom of your cup when you first pour it in. Stir to help it combine evenly!

    If you're adding it to a large soda stream bottle, put the lid on and slowly turn the bottle upside down and right side up again a few times to keep the syrup from settling on the bottom.

    a close up of a stream of soda syrup being squirted into a carafe of soda water. it's very bubbly.
    a glass of strawberry soda in front of a carafe of strawberry soda

    Practical Tips & Recipe Notes

    • When you strain the strawberries and lemon peel out of the water DO NOT PRESS THEM THROUGH THE STRAINER. Just let the water strain out on its own. You can lift and stir the strawberries in the strainer to get more liquid out, but you do not want to press them through into the water. If you strain the fruit pulp through your syrup will ferment and you don't want that. I made this mistake once and the pressure of gas building up in the bottle sprayed syrup all over my kitchen when I opened it.
    • If you don't have a pastry, a folded up piece of paper towel dipped in water will work instead.
    • Sugar has a crystal structure and, even when you dissolve it, those sugar crystals are always looking for ways to recrystallize. Stir the sugar and strawberry juice together BEFORE putting the pot on the stove to make sure the sugar isn't all clumped together on the bottom of the pot, and then don't stir it again once it's back on the stove. After it cools you can stir it as much as you like.
    • Use a pot with PLENTY of room to spare. Sugar absorbs and retains heat really well so will keep cooking for a bit even once you turn off the heat. You want to give it room to get bubbly and rise up in the pot a bit. And you definitely don't want to splash any hot sugar on your skin. I recommend using a pot that has at least 3x the room needed for the syrup itself.
    • For a thicker syrup that's closer to the consistency of corn syrup or a thick maple syrup to pour over pancakes or ice cream, you can use a 1:2 ratio of strawberry juice to sugar. But if you're making this strawberry syrup for drinks, you'll want to stick to the 1:1 ratio.
    a small bottle of strawberry soda syrup sits next to a glass of soda

    Strawberry Soda Syrup FAQ

    Can I use less sugar? I don't recommend it. The sugar here isn't just about sweetness. There's a reason you weigh or measure the amount of strawberry water after reducing and straining it and then measure the same amount of sugar to match. Simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of water (or juice) to sugar. I don't test low sugar versions of my recipes, but you are more than welcome to experiment with different ratios!

    Is strawberry syrup the same as grenadine? Nope! Grenadine is thinner in consistency, which means it will mix into your drinks differently. And grenadine is usually flavored with pomegranate or citric acid, not strawberry. This strawberry syrup can definitely fill in for grenadine if you need it to, though.

    How long does simple syrup last? About 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays for up to 3 months! There are a few ways this strawberry beverage concentrate can "go bad" and one of them is recrystallization — which is why it's important not to stir the syrup on the stove. This can encourage the sugar to recrystallize and give you a syrup that looks smooth on the day you make it, but that starts forming crystals as it sits.

    What is the best way to store strawberry simple syrup for drinks? In a glass bottle or jar with an airtight lid in the fridge. Glass is easier to get clean and completely sanitized (by submerging in boiling in water for 10 minutes), reducing the amount of contamination that can be introduced to your syrup. If you're planning on using the syrup within a few days, any airtight container you have is fine.

    📖 Recipe

    a small bottle of strawberry syrup lies next to a strawberry soda with lemon and strawberry garnish\

    30-Minute Simple Strawberry Syrup for Drinks

    Rebecca Eisenberg
    Looking to add a touch of sweetness and fruity flavor to your favorite beverages? This homemade simple strawberry syrup is great for cocktails or to add a splash of flavor to SodaStream carbonated water, club soda, or tonic! Made with just a handful of ingredients and fresh strawberries, this easy-to-follow recipe is a great way to add a burst of strawberry flavor to your favorite drinks.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved! Email
    Prep Time 14 minutes mins
    Cook Time 16 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 oz (approx)

    Equipment

    • Wire mesh strainer
    • Peeler
    • Kitchen scale
    • Pastry brush

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces strawberries, stems removed (weigh after trimming)
    • 1 lemon (peel and juice, used separately)
    • 10 ounces water
    • 6-8 ounces granulated sugar (you may need more or less depending on how much strawberry juice you have)
    • ¼ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (use half as much of any other type of salt)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Use a peeler to remove the peel from the lemon, trying to get as little of the bitter white pith as possible. Cut the strawberries into quarters.
    • Combine strawberries, lemon peel, and salt in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Stir constantly until strawberries soften and begin to release juices.
    • Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat just enough to maintain an active boil stirring occasionally until water has reduced by about half and the strawberries are quite pale in color. This can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes, sometimes longer. Be patient here.
    • Pour the mixture through a strainer into a heat safe container. Gently lift and stir the strawberries to encourage any excess liquid to strain. Do not press the strawberry pulp through the strainer. Discard the strawberries and lemon peel.
    • Wipe out the sauce pot and tare it to zero on a kitchen scale. Weigh the strawberry juice into it off the heat. Add an equal amount of granulated sugar to the pot and stir well to make sure the sugar isn't clumped on the bottom of the pot.
    • Return the pot to the stove over high heat. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush the inner walls of the pot to dissolve any sugar crystals clinging to walls.
      DO NOT STIR THE SYRUP MIXTURE ONCE IT'S ON THE HEAT.
    • Once a full rolling boil is reached (more than 75% of the surface of the pot is vigorously bubbling), reduce heat to medium and set a timer for 1 minute. Do not stir!
    • Remove from heat and let cool in the pot. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice (optional) to taste. The syrup will thicken as it cools. Transfer to airtight container or sanitized glass bottle. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

    RECIPE NOTES

    • Strawberry weight measurement is AFTER removing stems.
    • DO NOT press the strawberry pulp through the strainer. The pulp will ferment and cause gas buildup inside the bottle you store it in. If the gas has no way to escape, the syrup will spray all over your kitchen when you open it. Yes I did learn this the hard way. 
    • 10 ounce yield is an approximate estimate based on 5 ounces strawberry juice + 5 ounces sugar — actual yield will depend on how much you reduce the strawberry juice and how much sugar you need!

    YOUR NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes. Only you can see these.
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and let me how it was!
    Condiments & DipsDessertsUnder 30 MinutesLemonStrawberry
    « Why you should heat stainless steel before adding oil
    Homemade Stand Mixer Butter and Buttermilk »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Cecile

      August 28, 2021 at 7:53 pm

      Any thoughts on using frozen strawberries? We're well past local berry season here in Virginia.

      Reply
      • Rebecca

        August 28, 2021 at 7:55 pm

        Frozen strawberries should work just fine!

        Reply
        • Cecile Glendening

          September 02, 2021 at 12:33 pm

          Worked great with frozen strawberries!

          Reply
          • Rebecca

            September 02, 2021 at 6:21 pm

            That’s awesome!!!

            Reply
    2. Tara

      December 27, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      Can I substitute raspberries or blackberries for strawberries?

      Reply
      • Rebecca

        January 03, 2022 at 10:52 am

        Yep!

        Reply
    3. nicole

      March 30, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      I made the syrup and used it for homemade strawberry lemonade. My strawberries were looking sad so I used them up to make the syrup and then added the syrup to a lemonade, adjusting the sugar to account for the strawberries. Super refreshing and I could easily make this into an italian ice style item for summer.

      Reply
      • Rebecca

        March 30, 2022 at 3:22 pm

        So glad you liked it!!! I love the idea of using it Italian ice style in the summer too!

        Reply
    4. Susan

      July 10, 2022 at 4:54 pm

      Hi Rebecca, I am making this recipe right now and wondering if I should be skimming off the foam that develops as the strawberries boil in water (I've read that before)?

      Reply
      • Rebecca Eisenberg

        July 10, 2022 at 5:16 pm

        You don’t have to! But if you do, that’s fine too. It won’t hurt it either way.

        Reply
        • Susan

          July 10, 2022 at 5:45 pm

          5 stars
          Thank you Rebecca, I figured that it probably wasn't necessary - you would have mentioned it 🙂 Syrup is cooling now and it looks wonderful.

          Reply
    5. Fiona

      December 12, 2024 at 11:54 pm

      Can i use frozen strawberry?

      Reply
      • Rebecca Eisenberg

        December 13, 2024 at 12:37 pm

        Frozen strawberries should work just fine!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    rebecca wearing a black t-shirt with her left hand on her hip and her right hand holding a whisk upright

    Hi, I'm Rebecca! I'm a pastry chef with a home cook mentality. I'm on a mission to make spending time in the kitchen fun and accessible — that's why so many people love my beginner-friendly bread recipes. I'm always looking for new and creative ways to get the most out of my favorite ingredients and flavors!

    More about me →

    Seasonal Favorites

    • cross section of a cranberry orange mini muffin
      Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins
    • a close up of a log of garlic chive compound butter on a sheet of parchment paper with a butter knife nearby
      Roasted Garlic and Chive Compound Butter for Poultry
    • a hand drizzles honey on a pizza slice with a honey wand.
      Hot Honey Pizza with Goat Cheese
    • smoked turkey legs on a plate
      Better-Than-Disney Smoked Turkey Legs

    Get in touch

    Want to work with me? Just have a question? Shoot me an email!

    rebecca@thepracticalkitchen.com

    Treat Yourself

    • the best plus size aprons
      15+ Places to Buy Plus Size Aprons
    • college kitchen basics
      17+ College Kitchen Basics you Actually Need (and What You Don't)
    • 15+ best salt cellars for any kitchen.
      15+ Best Salt Cellars to Keep on Your Counter
    • flour storage containers for 5 lbs of flour
      Flour Storage Containers That Fit Five Pounds of Flour

    Footer

    About Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Journalist turned pastry chef, on a mission to make cooking and baking fun and accessible. I'm always looking for new and creative ways to get the most out of my favorite ingredients and flavors! A Pittsburgh native currently calling Boston home.

    My Favorites

    four small bottles of hot sauce lined up behind a piece of avocado toast with hot sauce on it
    lemon yogurt sauce in a small glass jar. half a lemon rests against it.
    pumpkin spice bagel with cinnamon sugar topping

    Popular Bread Recipes

    • Loaf pan focaccia
    • Crusty bread
    • Ciabatta bread
    • Everything bagels
    • No knead bread
    • Brioche buns
    • Pretzel bites

    Pizza Essentials

    • Thin crust pizza dough
    • Thick focaccia pizza
    • How to stretch pizza dough
    • White pizza sauce
    • Pizza sauce recipe
    • Prosciutto arugula pizza
    • Hot honey pizza

    Scratch-Made Staples

    • Cold brew coffee
    • Homemade hot sauce
    • Chex mix seasoning
    • Everything bagel seasoning
    • Bagel chips recipe
    • Homemade butter
    • Olive oil bread dip

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Links

    • About
    • Recipe Search
    • Editorial Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Resources

    • Shop
    • Links & Resources
    • Cooking Tips
    • Web Stories

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.