Strawberry Basil Syrup

Fresh and bursting with the flavors of summer, strawberry basil simple syrup will dress up your lemonade, iced tea, and cocktails. It has only four ingredients and comes together in less than 20 minutes.

While simple syrup is exactly that–simple–you can jazz it up by adding extra flavors to the syrup while it cooks. In this case, we’re adding strawberries and basil to make it really pop.

It’s the time of year when gardens and market shelves are bursting with both these ingredients. And if you have an abundance of either berries or herbs, throwing them into syrup is great way use the excess.

Ways to Use Strawberry Basil Syrup

• Use it in cocktails or mocktails for a fruity, herb twistt.
• For lemonade, combine 1 part strawberry basil syrup, 1 part lemon juice, and 3-4 parts water, depending on how strong you like your lemonade. Serve it over ice.
• If you cook the syrup down for an extra 5-10 minutes, it will thicken. It can then be used on pancakes, waffles, or french toast.

Ingredients

• Sugar — Any granulated sugar will work great!
• Water — Filtered water will work best, and not add any off flavors to your syrup.
• Strawberries — You can use fresh or frozen strawberries for this simple syrup!
• Fresh Basil Leaves — The basil, however, needs to be fresh.

How to Make Strawberry Basil Syrup

Wash and slice the strawberries, and wash the basil leaves thoroughly.

In a small pan, combine the sugar, water, strawberries, and basil. Place it on the stove top on medium heat.

Bring the syrup to a simmer. Cook it, stirring occasionally, for fifteen minutes.

The strawberries should be mushy and the basil wilted. This means the flavor has cooked out of the berries and basil, and the sugar completely dissolved. You want the syrup to have thickened slightly, when you’re done simmering it.

Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the syrup through it to strain out the strawberries and basil. Set it aside to cool completely before adding to drinks or using it for baked goods.

Storing the Strawberry Simple Syrup

Simple syrups like this one will last for several weeks. Pour the syrup into a very clean jar with an air tight lid and store in the refrigerator when you’re not using it.

Other Strawberry Recipes You May Enjoy:

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