Strawberry Syrup

Sometimes my zealousness gets the better of me. I tend to tackle absolutely everything I do with such zeal, that it’s not unusual for me to get a tiny bit carried away. Such was the case when I was in the market the other day shopping for strawberries. I had such a craving for them that I had to have the biggest box available. I bought 4 pounds of them. Four pounds is a lot of strawberries. I ate as many of them as I could, but they were ripening faster than I could keep up with them. I had to do something that would use up those that remained, and yet give me the most use out of those berries.

Obviously, the absolute best thing for me to do was to make strawberry syrup. That may not seem all that obvious to you, but think about it. If you turn your strawberries into strawberry syrup you can flavor all kinds of things. You can make a delicious strawberry lemonade (something I have been wanting to do) without mashing up a bunch of strawberries to do it. You simply make regular lemonade and add this syrup. You can make strawberry ice cream by stirring this into your recipe for vanilla ice cream, you can make yourself delicious strawberry frappes and shakes, and, hello strawberry margaritas! You can also pour this on top of pancakes, waffles, or French toast for breakfast in the morning, or drizzle it over cheesecake for dessert at night. Bottled attractively, it makes a wonderful gift. (I use these bottles.) The list is absolutely endless. Nothing is more versatile. 

I used it in a smoothie and the flavor was intense!

There are a number of recipes for strawberry syrup online, and, essentially they are all pretty much the same. You clean, hull, and cut up strawberries, throw them into a saucepan, cover them with water, simmer them until all flavor is extracted, strain them, put the juice back into the pan, add sugar, simmer, and Bob’s your uncle. It’s absolutely delicious, has the most beautiful jewel tone color, will keep in the fridge for 10 days to two weeks, and surprise and delight you at every turn.

Strawberry Syrup

1 pound of fresh strawberries
2 cups of filtered water
1 cup granulated sugar

Clean, hull, and dice strawberries, and place them into a medium/large sauce pan. Pour 2 cups of water over them and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat down slightly, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, and return syrup to a clean saucepan. Add sugar, bring to a low simmer, and simmer 5 to 6 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Cool, decant into bottles, and store in the fridge. Use as you see fit. Be sure to share your ideas with me.

PRINT RECIPE

If you prefer sauce to syrup, you will love this alcohol-infused Fresh Strawberry Sauce.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things
 Funtastic Friday
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Grace at Home

Friday at the Fire Station
Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

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Strawberry & Passion Fruit Sparklers

With the temperatures going up to record-breaking levels this weekend and 100° not out of the question, I am gladder than glad that I made an extra batch of the simple syrup, strawberry, and passion fruit mixture that I told you about here, and froze it in ice cube trays.

A summery old-fashioned glass, a couple of the fruity cubes, and a bottle of sparkling water will be all I need to keep cool this weekend in deliciously fine form.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.  Stay cool!

This post is linked to:

Seasonal Sunday

Seasoned Toasted Pecans

With the fast approach of the holiday season having the larder well stocked with drinks and snacks for drop-in guests is a must, not to mention a great way to treat yourself after a long day of shopping, decorating, or trimming the tree.  Here is a recipe that is quick and easy and always a hit.  Watch your guests as they reach for a couple.  They'll pop them into their mouths expecting the traditional pecan, but instead will make satisfying yummy sounds, and reach for more.  This is usually followed by, "Boy these are good," a note of surprise in their voice.  It never fails. I served these with drinks before dinner and the Rams game yesterday and they elicited the usual response.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Measure out 4 cups of pecans
 and place into a large bowl.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan and add:

 4 teaspoons Worchestershire Sauce
 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin

Mix well.

Drizzle melted butter and seasonings over
pecans and toss to coat.





Sprinkle pecans with 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar.  Toss again.

When completely coated with seasonings and sugar, pour onto rimmed cookie sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, stirring periodically to assume uniform toasting.

When toasted, remove from oven and pour
onto paper towels to allow excess butter to be absorbed.  Cool.  Store in airtight containers.

Bet you can't eat just one!

This post is linked to Tuesdays at the Table.