30-Minute Simple Strawberry Syrup for Drinks
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.
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)
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!