Mmm….homemade syrup made from fresh local strawberries — how great does that sound drizzled over ice cream or poured over waffles or pancakes? It’s easy to make, is preservative-free and is a super use of fresh Louisiana strawberries.
Making strawberry syrup involves little more than boiling a combination of strawberries, sugar and water until the solution is reduced and thick. Some recipes call for pureeing the berries and leaving the consistency chunky. Others, like mine (which I modified from a Food52.com recipe), strain the strawberries for a more traditional texture. Either way, you come away with intense flavor in a versatile syrup that’s fun for both kids and adults. It’s great in milkshakes, over ice cream sundaes or poured into a tall glass of seltzer for a quick Italian soda.
If you live in snoball country, like we do here in South Louisiana, you can even pick up some fine, shaved ice from a snoball stand and make a homemade snoball. (Strawberry snoballs are timeless. While working on the snoball chapter in my book, many vendors told me it’s the enduring favorite flavor.)
Strawberry Syrup
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
2 cups (16 oz.) fresh strawberries, washed, cored and sliced in half
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Steps
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover with lid and let continue to gently boil for 10 minutes. Remove lid and turn off heat. Remove strawberries with a mesh strainer. Holding strainer over saucepan, gently press berries with the back of a spoon to strain juice back into pan. Return syrup to boil. Keep lid off and let mixture gently boil and reduce for about 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let syrup cool completely.
Store in a clean container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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