Homemade Strawberry Juice is made with only 3 ingredients, including fresh strawberries! This is the most delicious and flavorful fruit juice you will ever have!
HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY FRUIT JUICE
Happy about-to-be-the-weekend, everybody!! Seems that it started a day early for me since I completely forgot to schedule this lovely recipe for my Grandma’s old fashioned, the way-it-should-be-made, Homemade Strawberry Juice.
Can we talk about nostalgia?
Things are about to get deep up in herrrr…
Every summer, right around this time, I get seriously homesick. When I was single, wild AND completely carefree, I would take off and go to Macedonia on a 2-month vacation. Best summers, ever!
In the mornings, I’d wake up to farm fresh eggs, homemade feta cheese, homemade yogurt, homemade Ajvar, homemade sausages… the homemade-list goes on.
Baba (Grandma) never took a break and was constantly making something – anything, really – all with one thing in mind; do not waste food. NO food should ever end up in the trash. That is how they were raised and that is all she knew.
Also? And what I’m completely jealous of?! All their food was steps away from their front door.
The vegetable garden had every vegetable you can possibly think of. Their fruit trees? Oh Lord! Cherries, apples, pears, plums, apricots… I will run out of room trying to list all of ’em. Their dinner?!? Also in their yard! (Vegetarians & Vegans, close your eyes!) Chickens, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, etc…
One thing’s for sure – we were never hungry.
One of grandma’s things that I’ve kept near and dear is this simple, countryside recipe for Strawberry Syrup, which she would use to make this Strawberry Juice.
The village where they lived is mountainous, with a very, very rich soil. There’s nothing that you can’t grow up there. Thus, around this time of year, grandma and I would go strawberry picking. She would strap two huge woven baskets on the sides of her donkey – yes, donkey 🙂 – and we’d be on our merry way to fill those baskets with berries.
On the way home I used to eat the UNWASHED berries and drink water from the natural springs. NO FILTER! I’m still ALIVE! Imagine that…
That night, I’d help her clean the berries and prep them for what would be the best juice on the planet.
If you have a large amount of berries sitting around and aren’t sure what to do with all of ’em before they go bad, make this simple Strawberry Syrup so you too can enjoy the best juice on the planet! YES, on the planet… Add a cup of water, or even some soda water, and sip awaaaaaay!
Which reminds me – do not get rid of the berries after you make the juice because next week I am going to show you how to make Strawberry Jam.
ENJOY!
Homemade Strawberry Juice
Ingredients
- 2- pounds fresh strawberries , cleaned and halved
- 2- cups sugar
- glass bottle
- water or soda water
Instructions
- Place half of the strawberries in a large bowl; cover with 1-cup of sugar.
- Add the remaining strawberries and sprinkle with the rest of the sugar.
- Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Transfer the berries and the juice into a large saucepan.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil; turn the heat down and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
- Using a spatula, press the strawberries to release all the juices.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 170.
- Wash the glass bottle; place it on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Sterilize the cap of the bottle by placing it in a bowl and pour boiling water right over it.
- Remove glass bottle from the oven.
- Pour the juice into the bottle.
- Seal with the cap and let completely cool.
- Store in refrigerator.
- In a glass, measure 1/4-cup of the strawberry syrup.
- Stir in 1-cup water (I like to use soda water) and enjoy!
- If you like a sweeter juice, add more syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Categories:
MACEDONIAN RECIPES:
Can I use frozen strawberries?
I have found this recipe while looking for a strawberry juice recipe. Is it possible to make more and preserve it? If so how would you can a large batch, water bath, how long?
Hello, I am excited that I found this recipe. What is the rationale behind heating the glass in the oven? thanks!
Hi 👋
To sterilize them. Using your oven to sterilize jars is a great way to prevent the growth of harmful mold and bacteria in any food you choose to “can” or put in a jar.
Tried your recipe and it turned out awesome. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I made it four times in small batches.. all perfect! The mash left … I have used to make fruit leather, jam, chocolate filling and fruit filling for custards. Really enjoyed strawberries in all forms this year!
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I love strawberries and have wondered about strawberry juice, especially since it’s not a stand alone fruit in juice that you purchase from stores. Last year, I looked up strawberry juice to find a recipe and came across yours. I decided to look no further and was pleased with the end result. I currently have some strawberries in the fridge now macerating and can’t wait to finish the process and have a glass.
Thank You for sharing your family recipe.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much! 🙂
It smells yummy, but I didn’t end up with 2-3 cups; it’s closer to one cup. Didn’t even fill up a pint mason jar…darn
Hi Alex! I wonder how that could happen? Did you remove it from the heat in time or did you wait longer than 30 minutes? Maybe the berries lacked natural juices? I can only guess, but I hope you enjoy it!!
Such beautiful memories! And this drink sounds glorious! I wishing had a big glass to enjoy right now!
I’ve never tried strawberry juice and I’m not sure why because I love strawberries! Thanks for the recipe and the gorgeous photos!
This looks fabulous, your photos are awesome and wouldn’t a little champagne be good with the syrup! Pinned
Absolutely beautiful, Katerina!
Lovely trip down memory lane. 🙂
This sounds amazing and the color of the juice is gorgeous! I bet a little champagne would make a great strawberry mimosa!!!
Looks amazing!! So delicious and yet beautiful!! What a great story! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kate,
The visuals evoked by your writing are as terrific as your photos–I can just see the donkey and it makes my heart happy.
How gorgeous, I’m in love with this family recipe!
Okay, Kate, this post makes me want to cry whilst feeling nostalgic! The photos are breathtaking, the memories are precious and the emotions are high. I think I am going to wake up tomorrow morning and make something deliciously Russian, something baba used to make. I don’t know what but it will be glorious! Thank you for the inspiration. 🙂
Hi Julia!! I knew you’d appreciate this one! 😀 Thank you!! xoxo
Girl, you and your gorgeous photos of drinks!! Love this post! Your story and the syrup – swoon!