Waste not, want not. What do you do with the TOPS of your strawberries? Throw them away? If you have livestock, I’m sure you feed them. Perhaps compost them? Well, friend, here is a new way to use the tops of your strawberries to get the very most out of your berries BEFORE disposing of them. Read on for a strawberry syrup recipe from the tops of strawberries and how to use that syrup.
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Strawberry Syrup
Ingredients:
Equal parts:
- strawberry top (leaves too!!)
- sugar
- water
How to make strawberry syrup:
Begin by rinsing well the tops of the strawberries you have cut off. Yes, even with the leaves! Then add tops, sugar, and water to a pot on the stove.
Over medium heat, bring mixture to a gentle boil for about 5 minutes.
Next, using a colander and a fine mesh sieve or muslin cloth, strain the tops from the liquid.
Allow the syrup to cool some before bottling.
Store syrup in the fridge for up to 6 months. Alternatively, you can water bath can it for longer shelf storage.
Water bath canning strawberry syrup
After straining, add liquid back to the pot and allow it to heat up again. During this time, prepare your cleaned storage jars and start your water bath canner (rapidly boil water in a large stock pot).
In my experience, I’ve come to prefer taking cleaned jars and put them in the oven at 235 degrees for 15 minutes and use them straight out of the oven.
Next, pour syrup into jars then wipe rims with a clean, damp paper towel or cloth. Add lid and ring. Then put jars into a water bath canner that is already rapidly boiling. Process for 10 minutes then remove the jars and allow them to cool under a tea towel for 12-24 hours.
The lids should be sealed as indicated by the circle in the middle of the lid being concave. Remove rings, date and label jars, then add to your pantry.
It’s advised to use this syrup within 1 year.
If any lids did not seal properly, put these jars in the refrigerator to use first.
Note:
If you are uncertain about water bath canning and pH concerns, add 1/8 of a cup of lemon juice to a 2 equal cups recipe for added acid. Strawberries are already acidic themselves but some people choose to add more acid for shelf stability peace of mind. To each her own, I say.
Are strawberry leaves edible?
When I first shared I learned this new strawberry tops hack on Facebook, I was asked multiple times if the leaves of the berries could be used too and the answer is a resounding,
YES.
Strawberry leaves are, in fact, edible and carry their own benefits. These leaves are perfectly safe to add to this recipe so long as they are rinsed of dirt properly first.
The whole point of this recipe is to stretch the strawberry further and also not to add a lot of extra work to your plate. Topping strawberries is already hard enough! Imagine 40 pounds of strawberry topping THEN needing to remove the leaves too… NO THANK YOU.
Make it easy on yourself and leave the leaves. It’s safe to do so!
What can I use strawberry syrup on?
Feel free to get creative here! You can use strawberry syrup on:
- pancakes
- over vanilla ice cream
- waffles
- stir into tea
- lemonade
- sparkling water
- strawberry themed drink
- drizzle over cheesecake
- dollop on a lemon bar
- and more
Small batches best for syrup and one more idea
If you are looking to use this strawberry syrup for ice cream and pancakes, smaller batches will be your best friend.
Summertime brings the desire for refreshing beverages. We love a good mocktail and lemonade. This recipe is great for strawberry lemonade.
It can be used just how it is or you can water it down more. To do so, add one more cup of water to the recipe.
For example, if you choose the 2 equal cups method, add a 3rd cup of water.
What do I do with strawberry tops after making strawberry syrup?
After boiling the berry tops for syrup, you’ll notice they go from bright red to a dirty pink color.
Once you have strained out the tops and seeds, now is a good time to add them to your compost bin or feed to your livestock.
Our golden retriever doesn’t turn down many things and she will indeed eat these strawberry tops too but we do make sure to only give as a treat and in moderation. Again, to each her own.
Why shouldn’t I just throw away the strawberry tops now?
The goal here at Johnson Home in the kitchen is zero or less waste. We try hard to use something 2 or 3 times before finally disposing of it. By disposing of, we mean feeding to livestock or composting it when we can. Food never makes it into our trash.
Living in the city makes this harder, I can imagine. If you have solutions for NOT throwing food in the trash can, please comment them on this blog to inspire someone else!
With the rising cost of groceries and everything, it seems, we want to stretch every penny we can out of foods to benefit not only our family but our small scale homestead too. Animals and garden alike!
SHOP THIS POST
Swing top bottles great for strawberry syrup and vanilla extract
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Strawberry Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberry top leaves too!!
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Rinse well the tops of the strawberries you have cut off. Yes, even with the leaves! Add tops, sugar, and water to a pot on the stove.
- Over medium heat, bring mixture to a gentle boil for about 5 minutes.
- Next, using a colander and a fine mesh sieve or muslin cloth, strain the tops from the liquid.
- Allow the syrup to cool some before bottling.
- Store syrup in the fridge for up to 6 months or water bath can it for longer shelf storage.
Water bath canning strawberry syrup
- After straining, add liquid back to the pot and allow it to heat up again. During this time, prepare your cleaned storage jars and start your water bath canner (rapidly boil water in a large stock pot).
- Pour syrup into sterilized jars. Wipe rims with a clean, damp paper towel or cloth. Add lid and ring. Then put jars into a water bath canner that is already rapidly boiling. Process for 10 minutes then remove the jars and allow them to cool under a tea towel for 12-24 hours.
- The lids should be sealed as indicated by the circle in the middle of the lid being concave. Remove rings, date and label jars, then add to your pantry.
- It’s advised to use this syrup within 1 year.
- If any lids did not seal properly, put these jars in the refrigerator to use first.
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