Easy Shelf-Stable Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
Prepare a simple, highly concentrated strawberry lemonade base that you can store and dilute later for quick, refreshing drinks.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 60 min
- Yield: About 3 cups concentrate
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop Simmering
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the strawberries break down.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
- Stir the fresh lemon juice into the strained liquid. This is your concentrate.
- Pour the concentrate into clean, airtight jars or bottles.
- Cool completely before sealing and refrigerating.
Notes
- For a clearer concentrate, line your sieve with cheesecloth before straining.
- To serve, mix 1 part concentrate with 2 to 3 parts cold water or sparkling water, adjusting to your preferred strength.
- This concentrate keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- Freeze leftover concentrate in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup concentrate
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 63
- Sodium: 2
- Fat: 0.3
- Saturated Fat: 0.0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.3
- Trans Fat: 0.0
- Carbohydrates: 65
- Fiber: 1.5
- Protein: 0.8
- Cholesterol: 0