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Made with fresh summer berries, you’re going to love this delicious Strawberry Syrup. This is a delightful homemade treat for pancakes, waffles, baked goods, drinks, and more.
There is no such thing as too many fresh seasonal strawberries! These bites of sunshine deserve to be enjoyed in bulk. But there are days when you want to savor that taste longer than strawberry season lasts.
And that is where this easy strawberry syrup recipe truly shines. You can keep it in the fridge, freeze some for later, or even can it. You’ve got options. Go get some berries and let’s do this.
WHAT IS STRAWBERRY Syrup MADE OF?
This recipe uses:
- Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- Sugar – not too much!
- Lemon juice – if you’re going to can this, it should be bottled lemon juice
If you’re using fresh strawberries and want to save some of that goodness for later, check out this post onHow to Freeze Strawberries.
How Do You Make Strawberry Syrup From Scratch?
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc.You can click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Remove the tops and cut the berries in quarters (or eighths for big ones) and add them to a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Now you’re going to cook them down over medium heat and gently mush them as they heat up.
Pro tip: if you want this process to go more quickly, chop the berries smaller before adding them to the pan. You could even “pulse” half of them in a food processor or just start with a base of homemade strawberry puree and add in chopped berries.
Add in the sugar and lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring often until the syrup comes to a boil. Cook at a boil for two minutes, stirring the whole time.
The syrup will more than double in volume while it is boiling, and you may need to lower the heat a bit to keep the sauce from popping and boiling over. Prop tip: choose a pot that is 3x the size of the berries. You’ll see in the photos below I had to transfer to a larger pot. Whoops!
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the syrup to cool before storing. It will thicken as it cools.
Your finished product can take on whatever texture you want. I prefer it mostly syrup with some berries in there for texture. If you want it completely smooth, use an immersion blender in the (cooled!) syrup, run it through a food processor or blender in batches.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SYrup WITHOUT SEEDS
Do you want to remove all the seeds from your syrup? Place afine-mesh strainerover a clean bowl and pour the blended berries into the strainer.
You may need to “push” the puree through witha silicone spatulaor wooden spoon to get every last drop.
How Do You Thicken Strawberry Syrup?
You have three options: 1) cook it longer to reduce the water content 2) add more sugar 3) thicken it with a bit of cornstarch. Safetytip: It is not suitable for canning if you add cornstarch.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How Long Does Strawberry Syrup Last?
You can keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze for 3-6 months. If you choose to can it, you can store it in a cool dark place for up to 12 months.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Absolutely! Let them heat up in the pot with a splash of water. You’ll need to cook everything a bit longer to reduce the liquid as they defrost.
How to Freeze Strawberry Syrup
To freeze, place in ice cube trays,Souper Cubes, or small canning jars (4 and 8 oz are my favorites), and store for 3-6 months.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- To thicken with cornstarch, combine 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tsp of cool water. Whisk until smooth and add to the syrup after you have finished the boiling process. Cook for an additional two minutes.
- You are able to can this strawberry syrup recipe as long as you don’t use cornstarch. The processing time and directions are the same as this Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam.
- If you want a completely smooth syrup, you’ll want to blend the berries before adding sugar. Cook in a saucepan for a few minutes until the syrup is warmed through. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a clean bowl and pour the berries into the strainer. You may need to “push” the syrup through with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to get every last drop. Then add the filtered syrup back to the pan, add the sugar and lemon juice, and bring to a gentle boil for 2 minutes.
How to Use Strawberry Syrup
This recipe is so great to use on whole wheat pancakes, sour cream pancakes,oat milk pancakes, incorporated intoHomemade Strawberry Ice Cream, or drizzled overcold start Instant Pot yogurt.
You’ll also love adding it to drinks like aVirgin Mojito,Instant Pot Iced Tea, or aMoscow Mule Mocktail.
More Delicious Recipes Like This
- Strawberry Simple Syrup
- Peach Syrup
- Strawberry Waffles
- Frozen Strawberries in Syrup
- Blackberry Syrup
- Sugared Strawberries
- Blueberry Freezer Jam
- How to Can Apple Butter
- Freezing Rhubarb
- Strawberry Freezer Jam
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Canning Applesauce
- Canning Peaches
- Strawberry Truffles
- Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving of strawberry syrup has 1 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
5 from 5 ratings
Homemade Strawberry Syrup
By: Sarah Cook – Sustainable Cooks
Servings: 5 cups
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Total: 25 minutes mins
Made with fresh summer berries, you're going to love this delicious strawberry syrup. This is a delightful homemade treat for pancakes, waffles, baked goods, drinks, and more.
Ingredients
- 6 cups strawberries {tops removed and cut into quarters}
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Rinse and remove the tops of the berries.
6 cups strawberries
Cut berries in quarters (or eighths for big ones) and add them to a large saucepan.
Cook berries over medium heat and gently mush them with a wooden spoon or spatula as they heat up.
Add in the sugar and lemon juice, and continue to cook, stirring often until the syrup comes to a boil.
1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice
Cook at a boil for two minutes, stirring the whole time. You may need to lower the heat a bit to keep the syrup from boiling over.
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the syrup to cool before storing. It will thicken as it cools.
Using a metal spoon, skim foam from the top of the syrup.
How to Can Strawberry Syrup
Prepare your water bath canner by filling it with water. You just need to have enough water to cover the jars by 1-2 inches once the water is boiling.
Set the canner on the stove. Turn the burner to high.
Wash and sanitize your jars. You’ll want to keep them warm to avoid having them crack when placed in the canner. You can fill them with hot water, or place them on a tray in the oven at 170˚F.
Wash your lids and set aside in a clean bowl.
Ladle in the warm syrup into jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove any bubbles from the jar (I use a plastic chopstick).
Use a wet clean rag and wipe the rim of the jars to make sure it is free of any syrup.
Place a clean lid on the jar. Add a ring, and tighten to fingertip tight.
Using canning tongs, place jars in the boiling water. Put the lid on the canner, and once the water is back to a rolling boil, process for 10 minutes.
When the 10 minutes is up, remove the canner from the heat, remove the lid from the canner, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
Using the canning tongs, remove the jars and place them on a thick towel in a place where they won't be disturbed for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, check the seal on the jars by pressing down in the center of the lid. If there is any give, either refrigerate and use those jars in the next month or reprocess.
Store in a cool dark place for 12-18 months.
Notes
- (NOT SUITABLE FOR CANNING) To thicken with cornstarch, combine 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tsp of cool water. Mix until smooth and add to the syrup after you have finished the boiling process. Cook for an additional two minutes.
- Store in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze for 3-6 months.
- If you choose to can it, you can store it in a cool dark place for up to 12 months.
- Makes 5 cups, or enough for five 8oz jam jars, or ~2 pints.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tbspCalories: 8kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 17mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American
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