Strawberry season hits in the valley below us about two months before our own berries begin to ripen. Strawberries cause the two little guys in this house to go into orbit. Alastair got the attention of all the shoppers at a local fruit stand when he squealed “stwawbawwies!” Then he announced to anyone who would listen that his grandma was buying some to take home.
Strawberries are a big deal.
But we sometimes have so many that they begin to dry out and lose their shiny red charm. What to do? The kids love shiny red charm. They really do!
This is our latest intervention for tired strawberries: Make a strawberry lemonade concentrate. It’s dynamite!
Here’s how.
Steps
- Wash the berries. Even if the berries were previously washed, if they are sitting around long enough to begin to dry out a bit, they probably need another good rinse.
- Remove the green tops and slice the berries into 1/4 inch slices.
- Layer the berries with honey or sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice in a wide-mouthed jar. Don’t worry about the proportions. You will make adjustments when you mix up the drinks later. You just want plenty of lemon and plenty of strawberry. They sing beautifully together.
- Press the berries down so they are completely submerged in liquid. You may need more lemon juice to finish the job.
- Store the jar in the refrigerator over night or longer while the flavors blend.
Mix the concentrate with icy water to make your drink as strong or weak as you like. You may want a bit more honey. Spoon some strawberry slices into each glass. They are fun to eat when the lemonade is gone. If you have a home soda machine or seltzer, try mixing this concentrate with fizzy water for a bubbly lemonade.
This concentrate keeps well for about five days in the refrigerator.
Source: www.freshbitesdaily.com/strawberry-lemonade-concentrate/