Ingredients:

  • 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 large strip lemon zest
  • 1.5 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 5 cups cold filtered water
  • 2 cups ice cubes
  • 2 sprigs fresh mint
  • 1 fresh lemon, sliced into wheels

Instructions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the 1 lb of halved strawberries, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, and the lemon zest strip.
  2. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once the sugar dissolves, use a potato masher to crush the berries to release their juices.
  3. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes until the liquid turns a deep crimson, then remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Pour the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing firmly on the solids to extract all the syrup; discard the pulp.
  5. In a 2-quart glass pitcher, combine the strawberry syrup concentrate with 1.5 cups of fresh lemon juice and 5 cups of cold filtered water.
  6. Stir well to emulsify. Serve in glasses over ice, garnished with fresh mint and lemon wheels.