Better Than Store-Bought Strawberry Simple Syrup from Scraps -

Is it really worth it?

I know you may be thinking, “is it really worth it to use strawberry top scraps?” Why yes, yes it is. You get some use out of something that’s otherwise thrown out, you can still compost it, and you get a lot of delicious syrup that can be used in so many ways.

If you grew up using the bright pink syrup in a bottle, this is the healthier alternative. It’s better for you and more versatile. Let’s just say this tastes a lot better in a margarita than the bright pink stuff does.

Ingredients Needed:

strawberry tops
sugar
water
lemon juice

How to Make Strawberry Simple Syrup from Strawberry Top Scraps

Gather your tops. There’s not a set amount you “have to have” in order to get a ratio right. Use your best judgement to at least have the top of the syrup mixture covered with tops. You’ll be surprised at how much flavor is extracted from a little bit of top scraps.
Use a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of sugar to water, depending on how you like your sweetness and thickness of syrup. More sugar = sweeter and a little thicker.
- Ex: 1:1 is 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water, 2:1 is 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water
Combine ingredients into an appropriate-sized pan for what you have.
Cook until the tops have lost most of their color. The syrup will be a pretty shade of pink. Boil for 5 minutes and skim off any foam.
Add 1/2 TBSP of bottled lemon juice to each 1/2 pint jar.
Fill jars with syrup. Put into containers in the fridge where it’ll last about a month.

Canning Strawberry Simple Syrup

Follow all the same instructions above except for putting it into containers.
Get your canner, jars, lids, and accessories ready. Please follow proper set-up instructions such as this: Ball Canning – Water Bath Canning 101
- Have jars being heated in your water bath canner and your lids/rings handy.
- Get a little container and add about a TBSP of vinegar for when you’re ready to wipe the jars.
- Get your utensils ready like your funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter and some lint-free cloths or paper towels.
Once you’re ready to fill, be sure to fill each jar one at a time.
Fill to 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rim with vinegar to remove any stickiness and follow it with a lint-free cloth with water.
Center lid on jar. Screw band down until finger-tip resistance.
Place jars back into canner. Make sure they’re completely covered in water to 1″ above the jars.
Bring to a solid rolling boil and process jars for 10 minutes with the lid on. The 10 minute timer starts when the rolling boil starts, not before.
Once the 10 minutes is up, remove the lid and let the pot sit for 5 minutes, uncovered.
Remove jars and cool for about 12 hours. Wipe jars, check seals are intact, and store.

Uses for Strawberry Simple Syrup

Milk to make strawberry milk – Just don’t really expect it to change color. It tastes amazing but the color is kind of lackluster.
Margarita or other cocktail
Glazes and frostings – pop-tarts and toaster strudels, muffins, cookies, cupcakes, etc.
Teas and Lemonades
Ice cream and other desserts