More Berry Pulp

Strawberry season is long gone. But, while they were plentiful, I made loads of strawberry sorbetto to capture that splendid berry flavour. As a result, I have containers of frozen strawberry seedy pulp in the freezer. It’s time to experiment like I did with the mixed fruit of the forest berry pulp. Here I’ve come up with a duo of strawberry drinks – one thurst quenching for a hot day, one and one long-term for savouring after the summer heat is gone.

Strawberry Lemonade
A variation on a summer classic.

• approx. 100g strawberry pulp left over from sorbet making (or mashed strawberries)
• 400ml lemon juice
• 400ml water
• 350g sugar
• Ice
• Sparkling or still water, or club soda

Mix the strawberry pulp and the water and let it sit for an hour. Strain and discard the pips. Make the syrup by combining the strawberry water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil until all the sugar dissolves. Boil for another minute and keep stirring to prevent the mixture from boiling over. Turn off the heat and let it cool.

Add the lemon juice and whisk into the cooled syrup. Put in a bottle and refrigerate. Serve over ice, dilute to taste with a little still or sparkling water or even club soda. A 2:1 ratio of water to strawberry-lemonade syrup works well for me.

Fragoli
An Italian sweet strawberry flavoured liqueur. A perfect after dinner tipple.

• approx. 200g strawberry pulp left over from sorbet making (or mashed strawberries)
• 1 vanilla bean
• 750ml Vodka or non-flavoured alcohol for infusing
• 200g sugar

Place all ingredients in a hinged wide-mouth jar holding about 2 to 2-1/2 litres with a glass lid and rubber seal is ideal for the job.

Shake the jar once a day for about a week or until the sugar dissilves. Leave the jar in a cool dark place for about 1 month.

Decant and strain out the pulp, squeezing all the liquid out. Discard the solids. The liqueur will initially appear cloudy, but eventually sediment will fall. It is optional to filter the liqueur. It will mature in time and is best to let it sit for a few months before consuming.