Strawberry syrup brings fruit flavour as well as sweetness to a drink. Unlike plain simple syrup, its final concentration depends on the berries, cooking and straining. Measure the finished syrup and adjust a drink gradually instead of assuming a perfect one-for-one substitution.
This small batch is a rounded half-size metric adaptation of Foodtasia’s strawberry syrup, using the same simmer-and-strain approach. It has not been independently kitchen-tested by Sommblog; berry ripeness and evaporation will affect the yield.
Ingredients and preparation
- 225g ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
- 100g white granulated sugar
- 120ml water
Allow about ten minutes to prepare the fruit and fifteen minutes to simmer, plus straining and cooling. Use a saucepan, fine sieve, heatproof bowl and clean lidded storage container. Remove damaged or mouldy fruit rather than trying to cook it into a usable syrup.
Method
- Put the prepared strawberries, sugar and water in the saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer gently for about fifteen minutes, keeping an eye on the liquid so it does not reduce excessively.
- Set the sieve over a heatproof bowl and strain carefully. Let the liquid drain without forcing the fruit through if you want a clearer syrup.
- Cool, transfer to the clean container, label with the date and refrigerate promptly.
Clear syrup or a fuller fruit texture?
Pressing the cooked fruit through a sieve carries more pulp into the liquid. That may suit a rustic fruit drink, but it gives a different texture from a lightly strained syrup. Decide which result you want before pressing: you cannot easily remove all the fine pulp afterwards.
The finished quantity varies, so this guide does not promise a fixed number of cocktail servings. Measure what you have and note the yield. If a later batch reduces more, use a smaller first addition when mixing.
How to use it
For a simple serving idea, add a little syrup to chilled sparkling water and adjust gradually. Fresh citrus changes the balance again, so measure it separately. These suggestions are starting points rather than tested drink formulas.
When adapting a cocktail, replace some of its existing sweetener with strawberry syrup before adding extra sweetness. A Gin Sour provides a clear example of the separate spirit, citrus and sugar components. Do not assume fruit colour tells you how sweet the syrup is.
Storage
Follow a cautious household routine based on Food Standards Agency guidance: cool and refrigerate promptly, use within two days, or freeze portions. This is general food-handling advice, not a laboratory-tested storage period for this recipe. Use clean utensils and discard syrup with mould or unexpected deterioration.
For a consistent neutral sweetener, return to plain simple syrup. For a different aromatic option, see vanilla syrup.
Image: AI-generated editorial illustration, not a photograph of a tested recipe or a reviewed bottle.
