Easy Homemade Strawberry Syrup Recipe - Made with fresh strawberries and simple syrup, and has a sweet strawberry flavor. The BEST syrup for french toast, pancakes, for drinks, and makes the perfect strawberry sauce for dessert.
Simple Syrup. Combine sugar and water in a medium sauce pot and bring that to a low boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat to medium temperature and watch it so that it doesn't boil over.
Add Flavoring
Add Strawberries and Reduce. Add chopped strawberries to the simple syrup and simmer over low heat until the berries have cooked down and the simple syrup has evaporated and been reduced by half and is of a syrupy consistency.The cooking time will vary depending on the cooking temperature, but reducing the liquid will generally take about 20-30 minutes.
Finish Syrup
Create Desired Syrupy Consistency.Chunkier Sauce- Leave the fruit pulp in the syrup for a more chunky end product. Use a potato masher to create uniform chunky consistency.Smooth Syrup - Run the cooked syrup through a fine mesh sieve to create a smooth syrup. Place the sieve over a large bowl and carefully pour the syrup into the sieve. Use a large spoon to press the fruit pulp through the sieve, leaving a smooth syrup in the bowl.Serving - Pour the finished strawberry syrup into a serving dish or an airtight container for storage.Pro Tip: Use the fruit pulp remaining in the sieve as a delicious strawberry fruit spread for sandwiches or baking. It will have a slightly thicker consistency than jam.
Notes
Notes on Ingredients
fresh strawberries - Washed, hulled (see note below), and chopped. Gently wash whole strawberries and lay them out on a clean towel or paper towel to dry. Hull them by removing the green stem and white middle core of each berry. Chop the strawberries into small pieces.
Pro Tip: You also can use a potato masher, food processor or immersion blender to make a strawberry puree.
granulated sugar - Granulated sugar combines with the natural sugars in the berries. Using less sugar will result in a less sweet, thinner final product.
water - The water is used to make a simple syrup, which is basically liquid sugar. We use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water to make a rich simple syrup.
Another common simple syrup ratio is 1:1, which uses an equal amount of sugar and water. Reducing the amount of water will result in a sweeter, thicker final product.
lemon juice (optional) - Adds an acidic brightness to the flavor. You may substitute orange juice or omit it altogether. May also add lemon peels for extra flavor.
Optional Add-Ins
cornstarch - Cornstarch is a thickening agent that can be added to thicken if it seems like it has too much liquid.
Pro Tip: Whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into cold water. The water must be cold for the cornstarch to dissolve without creating lumps.
vanilla extract - Vanilla extract's mellow, sweet flavor is often used to enhance flavors in cooking and baking.
Variations
Variations - This recipe is made up of 2 basic ingredients: fresh berries + simple syrup. You can easily use this basic combination to create other flavored simple syrups. Here are some ideas:
blackberry
blueberry
cherry
dragon fruit
mango
melon
multiple berry
pineapple
prickly pear
raspberry
watermelon
Storage Instructions
Store it in an airtight container like a mason jar and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Any longer than that and it should be frozen in a freezer-safe container.
Freezing Instructions
It can also be frozen in an ice cube tray for smaller portions. Once frozen, the cubes can be popped out of the tray and placed in a freezer bag for easy use.