Simply A-Mason Simple Syrup Recipes in a Mason Jar
from Fresh Mint & Strawberry Tops!
Hey there, Mason jar fans!
Do you feel like “fancy” hydration is all the rage these days with #WaterTok on TikTok, as well as the explosion of single serve, granulated packets or squeezy drops for flavoring water? (PS – I’m totally addicted to True Lemon – so I’m part of the problem!) It seems like everywhere I turn, there’s another coffee syrup, water enhancer, powdered fruit juice, or flavored liqueur. But I’m the kinda girl who has to be difficult (and thrifty) when it comes to something like that, so just buying everything I see and want to try at the store isn’t going to happen.
A few weeks ago, I saw this TikTok by @cara.annejones in which she makes (and cans) a strawberry simple syrup made from strawberry tops! This was a win-win, as it reused food scraps (and if you’ve seen my soup-er easy homemade stock recipe – you know I’m a big fan of minimizing food waste) AND was a relatively simple recipe involving ingredients I have on hand. Plus my brain started to whirl thinking of all the possibilities for the strawberry syrup: homemade “soda” by adding sparkling water, shaved ice free of food dye and other junk, upgrading happy hour drinks, adding a splash to water or iced tea, drizzled over vanilla ice cream… Really the list goes on and on.
CONFESSION ALERT: My only problem in this plan… I don’t can. There I said it, and now you all know. I keep saying I want to learn, and I should try it, but I just haven’t taken the plunge yet. But I figured my method for saving veggie and herb scraps for soup stock would work for strawberry tops too. All summer, as we’ve bought quarts of strawberries, I would cut off all the tops and put them into quart freezer bags while I was washing and prepping the fruit for storage in a Mason jar (if you haven’t tried this, you should!). When I had two quart bags full, I figured it was time to make some syrup!
Additionally, my mint plants (mint julep and orange mint) are CRAZY huge right now, so I figured if I was making one syrup, why not make
two! Yeah, I’m addicted to being difficult like that. But honestly, the mint syrup was even EASIER to make, and personally I was really excited to try it as I LOVE all things mint!
Plus Ryan, one of our MJL bosses, was already going to make some of his FAMOUS margaritas for us at work (yes, my job is better than your job) – so this was the perfect reason to make both of these simple syrups. And the MJL Team was more than happy to try them out, and let me tell ya – they get hearty thumbs up!
I didn’t get my usual number of scenic photos while prepping and making these syrups, because we’re in the middle of a kitchen renovation at the moment – I have almost no countertops left, no cupboards, I’m missing one kitchen wall (on purpose), and most of my cooking equipment is inaccessible. I did take a video, and I’ll include that in this recipe, but I largely had to make do with what supplies I have at hand.
With all that said, let’s dive in!
Strawberry Top Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts of strawberry tops – fresh or frozen
- 3 cups of sugar of your choice – I used organic, granulated sugar
- 3 cups of filtered water
Equipment:
- Large sauce pan
- Large spoon for stirring, small spoon for skimming off any foam
- Stainless steel canning funnel
- Strainer, sieve, colander, etc.
- Wide mouth, quart Mason jar
- Stainless steel, liquor pour spout lid for Mason jars
Directions:
- Into your sauce pan, add strawberry tops, sugar, and water
- Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Allow to cool a little bit, then spoon out strawberry tops and skim off foam
- Transfer the strawberry syrup into a quart jar. I found setting a stainless steel canning funnel with a strainer on top of my wide mouth, quart jar to be the best method I could come up with given the supplies I had on hand. I tried our pour over coffee filter but the syrup was too thick as it cooled for that method to work. I have a fine, mesh strainer that was unfortunately packed away which may have been the best tool for this job. But either way, you get the idea.
- Top the quart jar with our stainless steel, liquor pour spout lid for easy serving and storage.
- Keep refrigerated and use for 3-4 weeks.
Fresh Mint Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of fresh mint (give or take) – added more because it didn’t feel like enough leaves:water ratio for the strong flavor I was going for. I also used fresh mint leaves and any of the thinner stems in my recipe.
- 3 cups sugar of your choice – I used organic, granulated sugar
- 4 cups of filtered water
Equipment:
- Large sauce pan
- Large spoon for stirring, small spoon for skimming off any foam
- Stainless steel canning funnel
- Strainer, sieve, colander, etc.
- Wide mouth, quart Mason jar
- Stainless steel, liquor pour spout lid for Mason jars
Directions:
- Into your sauce pan, add fresh mint, sugar, and water. (see note)
- Bring to a simmer for a 1-2 minutes for sugar to dissolve.
- Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool a little bit, then spoon out mint leaves and stems.
- Filter and fill a wide mouth, quart Mason jar by placing a stainless steel canning funnel on top with a strainer on top.
- Top the quart jar with our stainless steel, liquor pour spout lid for easy serving and storage.
- Keep refrigerated and use for 3-4 weeks.
(NOTE) When I do this again, I’m going to do the first few steps differently as I feel like simmering wasn’t great for the mint leaves or the flavor they released. Next time I would put the water and sugar into the sauce pan as you would if you were making a traditional simple syrup. Once the sugar was dissolved and thickened a bit, take the pan off the burner, add in the fresh mint leaves, cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes. I think this method would yield even better results but feel free to try whichever way suits you!
Maggie here! When Ryan and I started Mason Jar Lifestyle back in 2015, he was already pretty famous for his delicious margaritas. Over the years, he’s incorporated more and more Mason jars and accessories into his process, while never changing his epic recipe.
Earlier this week, we had a margarita sampling (with non-alcoholic versions for anyone who preferred), and the response was unanimous – Ryan’s margaritas are incredible!
His recipe uses fresh lemons and limes, good tequila, Grand Marnier, and a little agave syrup. That’s it! Nothing artificial and not a bunch of sugar.
We were lucky enough on sampling day to have our team member extrordinaire, Mary N., bring in her own homeade mint and strawberry syrups (in jars with our new liquor pour spout lids) for anyone who wanted to add an extra flavor to their margarita.
Below, I’m sharing his recipe as well as all the Mason jar accessories we used in the process. Cheers!
Ryan’s Margarita Recipe
Makes 4+ margaritas
Ingredients:
- About a cup of tequila
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier
- 1 lemon
- 2 limes
- Squirt of agave syrup
Equipment:
- Stainless steel juicing lid (wide mouth)
- 1 quart Mason jar (wide mouth)
- Pour and store lid
- Short glass straws
- Regular mouth, half pint silicone sleeves
Directions:
Uses for Strawberry Top & Fresh Mint Syrup
Upgrade Your Happy Hour
I confess I made this syrup because I wanted to try it out but also because my boss, Ryan, is going to make his FAMOUS margaritas (see recipe above) at work (mostly for photos and video – of course!). I thought the syrups would be a fun addition to the little work party we’re going to have. I’m already dreaming of adding these syrups to not only margaritas, but daiquiris, Moscow mules, mojitos… You get the idea! These flavored simple syrups can dress up any cocktail or mocktail to take your at-home bartending up a level!
Wanna Kick It Up One More Notch…
Why not try homemade cocktail rim sugars! Combine syrups with sugar or salt to rim cocktail glasses for an extra burst of flavor.
Sweeten Your Sun Tea & Homemade Lemonade
There’s nothing that says summer like sun tea and homemade lemonade! Our cold brew filter kit is perfect for whipping up a small, medium, or large batch of tasty tea or grab a stainless steel juicing lid and stir up some lemonade. I like to make my batches in a half-gallon (64oz) Mason jar and use a pour and store pitcher lid with handle on it for easy storing and pouring (as you might imagine). Grab your homemade simple syrups and make mint green or herbal tea, strawberry lemonade, or even strawberry mint lemonade! Go wild!
Simply Delish Homemade Soda
This is probably the idea that I’m most excited about because soda is my guilty pleasure! Mix sparkling water with your syrups to create custom sodas. I mixed mine with flavored sparkling water and it was amazing!
Hydration Celebration
This one probably goes without saying but like the homemade soda, you can add a splash of homemade syrup to sweeten and flavor your water naturally. It’s hot out there still, so be sure you stay hydrated!
No Glass Allowed Poolside? No Problem!
Make your own cocktail/ mocktail popsicles and load them into your cooler! Freeze cocktails mixed with flavored syrups into popsicle molds for a boozy frozen treat.
DIY Shaved Ice & Slushies
My kids love shaved ice, snow cones, and slushies. I found a Pampered Chef Ice Shaver at the thrift store years ago and we bust it out every summer. My issue is I don’t like buying syrups from the store full of additives, preservatives, and dyes. Making homemade syrups means I can let the kids shave ice and make their own slushies till they float away! That’s a win win!
Dessert Drizzles
Use your homemade flavored syrups to drizzle over ice cream (or make your own Mason jar ice cream – we test two recipes last summer), cakes, pancakes, waffles, or even fresh fruit.
Marinades and Glazes
Use homemade syrups like to marinate meats or glaze vegetables.
Dress It Up!
Add a unique twist to your salad dressings with syrups options. Make strawberry or mint vinaigrette – yum!
Freshen Up Fruit Salad
Toss fresh fruit with your fruit-infused or mint syrup for a refreshing and sweet side dish. Plus the kids will love it and might even let it pass for dessert!
Summertime Bake Off
Use flavored syrups to brush over cakes for added moisture and flavor or as a glaze for pastries.
Add a Twist to a Staple
Sweeten your morning yogurt, overnight oats, or chia seeds pudding with jazzy syrups. I tried strawberry on my vanilla chia seed pudding and it as totally dessert worthy!
Freeze Up Some Fun
Use syrups to flavor homemade popsicles, sorbets, or granitas.
Whip Up Flavor
Add a touch of flavor to your whipped cream by incorporating syrups and then top your fruit, desserts, chocolate chia seed pudding, morning coffee… you get the idea!
Remember, the possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to using flavored simple syrup. Get creative and experiment with different flavors to discover your own unique culinary creations. I’m sure you’ll find that, like me, once you have them on hand – you’ll find endless ideas of dishes and drinks to add them to!
I’d love for you to share your ideas and recipe customizations with us. Come by and share with us on social media! I’d love to connect with you : ) Join the conversations going on right now on our Facebook business page, Mason Jar Lifestyle, or Facebook group, Living The Mason Jar Lifestyle! We are also on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok. Looking forward to connecting with you soon!
