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Original video by @applesauceandadhd — all credit to the creator.

Jessica Secrest

Stovetop Strawberry Top Syrup

A quick stovetop syrup that turns saved strawberry tops and past-their-prime berries into a glossy, fruity pour for pancakes, yogurt, and mocktails. Simmer, strain, and squeeze-bottle it — no days of waiting in the fridge.

⏱ 10 minstrawberrysyrupfood-scrapszero-wastemocktails

Ingredients

  • —strawberry tops · collected and frozen; whole strawberries that are close to turning work too
  • 2 cupssugar
  • 2 cupswater

Steps

  1. 1

    Add the strawberry tops to a pot along with 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water.

  2. 2

    Set the pot over the stove and bring to a simmer.

  3. 3

    Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring and smashing the strawberries against the side of the pot to release their flavor. Simmer longer for a thicker syrup, but don't go so far that it stops being pourable.

  4. 4

    Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Move the fruit around gently to release trapped liquid, but don't press it through — that would leave chunks in the syrup.

  5. 5

    Set the strained syrup aside to cool completely.

  6. 6

    Transfer the cooled syrup to a squeeze bottle and other containers, and store in the fridge.

Creator's notes

No-cook alternative: combine the strawberry tops and sugar in a jar with nothing else, refrigerate a couple of days, shaking it around, then filter. The stovetop version is the impatient route. This works with pretty much any fruit — she also makes blueberry, pomegranate, and lime syrup. Don't throw strawberry tops away: they can go into smoothies or be eaten whole. Serve over pancakes, on yogurt, or in mocktails.

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