The summer heat came in Spring this year in Nashville. I don’t like heat. I like beach breezes and weather I can run long distances in.
I learned, however, that early heat has it’s good side. The strawberries at the farmer’s markets were running over with organic, sweet, juicy strawberries and they are still coming. I bought a gallon and half between three different farmers, but my best purchase was the gallon bucket from Kelley’s Berry Farm for $15 at the Tuesday market.
All week I thought about ideas for these strawberries. I wanted to make gelato, cocktails, a spicy strawberry sauce for chicken, and frozen jam like Teresa did at Food on Fifth, another food blogger from Nashville. She shows how to “put them up” in ball jars in the freezer. Putting up is a southern term for canning. Just ask my husband.
I had never heard of freezing anything in jars, but she assured me it’s okay to do so, as long as you leave about an inch of room for expansion. Her post explains it all perfectly, and gives wonderful ideas for what to do with those jars.
I had every intention of putting them up, but, I kept eating them. We don’t get this treat for long around here. And, then when I had about 3 cups left, my idea came me to me.
I decided to make a simple syrup with strawberries because in all this heat, Strawberry Sangria sounded so refreshing.
You might be thinking strawberry cocktails sound good too. See what some other food bloggers decided to do with their strawberry syrup.
Strawberry Mojitos from White on Rice
Watermelon Vodka Cocktail from Spinach Tiger
Fresh Strawberry Margarita from How Sweet It Is
Strawberry Letter 22, a cocktail from Kitchen Confidential (just skip the addition of strawberries)
Freeze Strawberries in Strawberry Simple Syrup from Cheesegrits and Cornbread
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 cup strawberry puree
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- Heat water, sugar, strawberry puree together to a boil. When water is at a boil, add diced strawberries, and simmer until the strawberries are very soft. Take through a sieve. Store in refrigerator.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Simple, but delightfully divine! Wow, I’d love to be able to find such cheap strawberries. Here, 250g costs about 5-6$…
Cheers,
Rosa
Could use the strawberry syrup on so many things, like pancakes or ice cream, yum! Very nice!
MmmmMmmm.. we just finished Strawberry smoothies just about an hour ago.. we still have more strawberries in the fridge that we are going to be “putting up” too… LOL
So refreshing!
Cool!
It was a lovely warm Spring day here, I have strawberries from California, and time on my hands.
Ahh strawberries! So abundant and delicious when they are in season! Your soup looks wonderful and I can imagine so many applications! And thank you too for your vote, I so appreciate it!
x
If only we had strawberries at the moment! The problem is that our spring sofar has been more like autumn. Cold, rain and not good for strawberries. But fingers crossed the summer will be better!
Just got 4 lbs. for $5 in WY. Great ideas here. i have Aji dried peppers and will try a spicy chicken sauce today.
Your Farmers Market is on a Farm? That inspires me. P.S. In my house “putting up” is what Ken does with me! GREG
How I mess Erdbeeren season in Germany! I haven’t had time to get to the famers market here in NYC these past weeks. This syrup is perfect. Thanks for the recipe. I inted to make it as soon as I get my (oven) mitts on some fresh strawberries.
Angela, thanks for including me in your post. I feel so honored and you did such a great job melding ideas. Your syrup looks absolutely beautiful and would be great on some homemade ice cream I bet! We are still eating strawberries here at our house every day but this too will pass, sadly, but we have our “put up” berries and you have your “syrup”. Well done.
From where did you get alll theseee gorgeous strawberries? I so want to go for strawberry picking here, do you know any place?
BTW ur syrup looks divine!
i’ve been stocking up on fresh, local strawberries lately, too – aren’t they just wonderful? we got a great deal on Portland, TN strawberries at the farmer’s market so I’ve been cooking/baking with them + snacking on them for the last 5 days. they’re almost all gone!
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