Michele and I are still mid-remodel, so this easy, breezy,
strawberry syrup recipe was a welcomed addition to the video schedule. I have
my friend Jen Yu from Use Real Butter to thank for that, since it was her gorgeous post that inspired this answer to all those “summer drink” food wishes I’ve
been receiving lately.
Jen publishes one of the best blogs around, and if you want
to see how this beautiful beverage should really be photographed, check out her original post. Jen's fine food blogging prowess is only eclipsed by her
photography skills. Speaking of which, don’t miss her photos of the recent eclipse!
I can’t think of many summer drinks this wouldn’t be great
in, but for me it doesn’t get any better than a simple strawberry soda. Give me
a big icy pitcher of this blush brew, an Adirondack chair, a little SPF 100 for
my bald spot, and I’m ready to happily take on any heat wave. Of course this is
only going to be as great as the strawberries you use, so bide your time until
you come across those perfect pints.
By the way, the long-lasting aroma that will envelop your
home is so enticing, so heady that the syrup almost seems like an added bonus.
Michele walked in just as the berries had finished simmering, and couldn’t
believe how wonderful the flat smelled. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Strawberry Syrup (makes about 1 quart)
Original recipe from Marisa McClellan’s highly regarded Food in Jars.
2 lbs very ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 cups cold water
2 cups white granulated sugar
3 cups cold water
2 cups white granulated sugar
49 comments:
Chef John! Can we use Raspberries with this method? I have access to tones of sweet raspberries but not many sweet strawberries.
I'm sure you could!
Mmm... Oregon strawberries are just beginning to be in season. I'm excited to try this!
Chef John, how long does the syrup last if its left in the fridge?
What about possible sustitue for strawberry? Cause all the strawberry in my coutry is just aweful, lacks even a slightest hit of sweetness...
Wow! I am going to be a soda jurk too : )
What would you do with used strawberries?
When I was a kid, in Switzerland, I use to pick up wild strawberries with my grandmother near Lake Constance. They were small, deep red, and very sweet. Now living in the US, all we can find in grocery stores are these humongous, genetically modified, waxy strawberries, with sad white flesh and a strange cavity in the center. For me, this is the real meaning of nostalgia: a small hole in the center of a strawberry.
How long will this keep?
Chef John your recipes are always amazing. Whenever I cook them people always tell me that it's on the same level as the fancier restaurants. It's a nice feeling seeing as I used to only be able to cook chicken fingers and fries just a few years ago.
I can't wait to try this recipe. I'm an absolute soda junkie and wouldn't mind stocking up something a little tastier for the hotter days.
Chef John,
Im sure this stuff will go fast, but I have a ton of strawberries that I picked (in Phelps, NY) and I want to make a lot of syrup. How long will this keep and how do I store it?
Hi chef John,
How long will this last if you are some kind of freak who wouldn't have it all gone just after it cools?
Ooooh. Now I know what I'll be doing this afternoon!
And I'll cut those medium large strawberries into seven sections, in honor of yet another great Food Wishes video.
Love the little spoon.
Thank you to your friend Jen, too!
Ooooh. Now I know what I'll be doing this afternoon!
And I'll cut those medium large strawberries into seven sections, in honor of yet another great Food Wishes video.
Love the little spoon.
Thank you to your friend Jen, too!
Chef John...looks fabulous! How long does the syrup stay good refrigerated?
re: shelf life... Sorry, not sure! It would turn sour. You would know.
Hello^^
Wow~ it sounds really tasty and fresh. Thanks for the recipe.
Greetings
Wild black berries and huckleberries will work too. In fact you can make syrup from just about any sweet fruit. Also you can add a little of the syrup to the pulp for ice-cream topping or smoothies. Waste not and all that!
There's enough sugar in the syrup that it won't freeze solid so if you haven't used all the fresh syrup in 2 weeks, freeze it in containers or make sorbet.
FREAKISHLY SMALL SPOON!
Hi Chef John,
Question:
what if I add some gelatin to this syrup and let it cool, do you think it will taste like marmalade, so I could spread it over toast?
I REALLY appreciate the strawberry recipes! I just planted a dozen strawberry plants outside, and I'm looking forward to trying out every strawberry recipe I can find!
A little pectin and you'll have strawberry jelly!
how about blending raspberries and blackberries? since i'm allergic to strawberries :(
where's the cayenne?
Wow, who knew you could make your own strawberry soda. I am going to make some. It looks great.
Yes those berries will work! Btw, Jen tells me it keeps about 2 weeks in fridge. thanks!
Followed this to Jennifer's amazing photo site, and found her incredible French Crullers recipe... which I then post on my fellow foodie Facebook friend Kelly's page, with the teaser of "make me these"...
And it turns out Kelly KNOWS Jennifer, who then showed up on the post. Of which I told her, I found this through Chef John, who I follow religiously. And she said,
"John is a great fellow - seriously funny. He and his wife are the nicest folks. I hope you love that strawberry syrup, it is HEAVENLY! "
And yes it was... about to have another glass now, thanks Chef John! You rock...
No, thank you for sharing that! :)
If one were to use all the syrup how much soda could they make? (for a party)
Best used with nice dry champagne :)
Chef:
Have you ever tried making strawberry "drinking vinegar?" Yeah, it sounds strange but it's really nice.
Just macerate strawberries in enough vinegar to cover -- I generally use either plain old white vinegar or maybe a cider vinegar -- for about a week.
Then drain into a saucepan, add sugar, and cook down till a nice syrup consistency. Then use in the same way as your recipe.
They did a segment on "drinking vinegars" on the public radio program "Splendid Table" a couple of months ago, which is where I picked up the idea.
Hey Chef John! Saw that there's a place in Cole Valley called The Ice Cream Bar that opened recently. And they have soda jerks!
Thanks for the ideas!
Can you use Stevia instead of sugar?
Sorry never used it.
hahAHha!...."I'm just a regular jerk'. Too funny.
Strawberry syrup was a big hit!! I have many blueberry bushes in my yard so I decided to try that also. They were frozen from last year and needed to be used. Awesome again. I will try with fresh berries in a few weeks. I did use only 1 1/2 cups sugar for both and it was outstanding. Thanks John!!
So I have tried the strawberry variation and found it very good. I used the full two pounds and it lasted about two weeks or so. Definitely prefer mixing with just water rather than the club soda. Strawberries werent that sweet though, so it wasnt amazing. After that was done, I decided to try raspberries, because the first commenter brought them up and I love them and can get sweet ones even in Alberta. I did a pound this time, so it makes less. Tastes great. Definitely less sugar next time, but I now know how the sweetness and sugar correlate, so next time I get some nice sweet ones, I know to only use a 3/4 cup of sugar per pound. Again, prefer with water. Even prefer mineral water to club soda. Going to try some lemonade or even ice tea mixes. BTW, mixing this with water and freezing gives you a great sort of slushy effect. The sugar stops proper freezing so it defrosts quicker and youve got a great slushy going. Oh, the "pulp" from the raspberries make great fake brains! Next up, saskatoon berries.
So I have tried the strawberry variation and found it very good. I used the full two pounds and it lasted about two weeks or so. Definitely prefer mixing with just water rather than the club soda. Strawberries werent that sweet though, so it wasnt amazing. After that was done, I decided to try raspberries, because the first commenter brought them up and I love them and can get sweet ones even in Alberta. I did a pound this time, so it makes less. Tastes great. Definitely less sugar next time, but I now know how the sweetness and sugar correlate, so next time I get some nice sweet ones, I know to only use a 3/4 cup of sugar per pound. Again, prefer with water. Even prefer mineral water to club soda. Going to try some lemonade or even ice tea mixes. BTW, mixing this with water and freezing gives you a great sort of slushy effect. The sugar stops proper freezing so it defrosts quicker and youve got a great slushy going. Oh, the "pulp" from the raspberries make great fake brains! Next up, saskatoon berries.
BTW, I also have a small spoon like that... it is sort of red now.
I just bought a "SodaStream" drinkmaker and i didnt want to use any of the artificial flavorings that come to flavor the soda . I cant keep my fingers out of the syrup, sooo good :b its on the stove right now, cant wait to try some ! im also making a watermellon syrup later on today, mmmmmm . Thanks for the recipe ! Great video !
Chef John,
My ? is, is there a difference in the sugars, like C&H, G&H, and so on; do they change the consistence of the item being cooked? I found that when using an off brand for my strawberry jam, the taste is different...Steven
Sorry, but never noticed any differences in taste between brands of sugar!
This looks so delicious and your picture is so pretty! Could I use frozen strawberries to make this?
Never tried but theoretically yes.
I did it with frozen strawberries - thawed and sliced them. The syrup is delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Chef J,
Assuming I want to make a larger or smaller portion of this syrup, could I just halve/double/triple the ingredients as they are called for?
Thanks in advance!
I KNOW this would not last long in my house!!!!
If my strawberry is not so sweet I can add more sugar right?
Yes!
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