Strawberry season is about to start, and I can’t wait to enjoy them. Whether eaten fresh, in a pie, in an entremet, or even in a sorbet… There are countless ways to enjoy them.
It is quite common to throw away strawberry tops. However these little pieces are extremely valuable, with a rich strawberry flavor. To make full use of your strawberries, strawberry tops syrup is a very clever zero-waste trick.
About Strawberry Tops Syrup
The recipe is very simple. You simply have to prepare a syrup (a solution of sugar and water) and let the strawberry tops infuse in it. This way, you will easily obtain a syrup with a lovely strawberry flavour and a beautiful pink color.
How to adjust the quantities:
- The amount of strawberry tops [depending on what you have]. I usually use baskets of strawberries that weigh about 450 g, which is why I use these proportions.
- The amount of sugar for the syrup [depending on your taste]. A simple syrup is most often made with equal parts sugar and water (by weight), but variations include light syrup (less sugar than water) and thick syrup (more sugar than water). Personally, I always choose a light syrup in my recipes, using half the amount of sugar (for example, 50 g of sugar for 100 g of water).
Alternatives
An alternative to strawberry tops syrup is a strawberry tops infusion. In that case, you can follow the same process using only boiling water and omitting the sugar. It is also possible to make a cold infusion, but it will take a bit longer for the flavour to fully develop.
You can add flavours to your strawberry tops syrup, such as vanilla, basil, or verbena for exemple.
How to Use Strawberry Tops Syrup
Strawberry tops syrup has many uses. You can use it in desserts, for example, to soak cakes or sponge layers [such as in a strawberry fraisier or a strawberry tiramisu]. You can also use it to flavour drinks.
Other Zero-Waste Recipes
Here are a few zero-waste recipes that might interest you:
Strawberry Tops Syrup
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries.
- Cut off the tops, leaving a small piece of the strawberry flesh attached. Place them in a jar.
- Pour the sugar and water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove from the heat and pour the syrup over the strawberry tops.
- Close the jar and let it cool. Place the jar in the refrigerator and let it steep for at least 1 hour.
- Strain the syrup. It's ready to use.
- Store the syrup in the refrigerator.
