Siro Dau Tay (Strawberry Syrup), No Added Refined Sugar
Sweets and drinksDrinksVietnamAbout 30 minutes of preparation, a few hours of steeping, then cooking
A jar of strawberry syrup is the start of every cool drink in the fridge. Good syrup shows a clear red color and the smell of ripe fruit. Keeping it clear is the hard part, since one missed stem turns the liquid cloudy.
The berries soak in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, drain, then get halved and hulled. Skimming the foam during cooking is what decides how clear the whole jar turns out.
This batch weighs about 1.5kg, at roughly 31 calories per 100g.
Method
Wash the strawberries, soak them in lightly salted water for about 10 minutes to clean off any dust, then drain.
Halve the berries and remove the stems so the syrup stays clear.
Put all the berries in a clean basin and toss with 1 teaspoon salt for a rounder flavor and longer keeping.
Add 450g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and mix well so the berries soak it up and release their juice.
Cook the mixture on the stove until the blend dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil, skimming the foam constantly to keep it clear.
Let it cool completely, then pour into clean glass jars or bottles and keep them in the fridge.
Tips
Look for evenly red berries with tight glossy skin, stems and green caps intact, dry to the touch.
Pale berries stay pale, because strawberries do not ripen further after picking.
Glass jars need to be clean and completely dry before the syrup goes in.
Foam skimmed as soon as it rises keeps the syrup clear, since foam left too long melts back in and clouds it.
The berries have to be fully drained before they meet the salt, because any water left on them turns the syrup sour quickly.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.