Strawberry Simple Syrup

Steps

1. Wash the berries and remove stems. Roughly chop or quarter the strawberries and place them into a medium saucepan. Cover with the water and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce to a simmer and cook the berries for 20 minutes. Carefully skim and discard any foam that rises to the top.

3. After 20 minutes, the berries will be much lighter in color and the water should be a dark pink or red. Place a fine mesh strainer over a second saucepan and pour the strawberry liquid through it.

4. Resist the temptation to press down on the cooked berries to extract more juice. This will make the syrup cloudy. After straining, discard the cooked berries.

5. Add the sugar to the liquid and bring it back to a boil. Stir constantly, until the sugar has dissolved completely.* Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top.

6. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool completely before transferring to glass jars for storage in the refrigerator. The syrup will last for several weeks.