Makes about 20 drinks
- Active time:45 min
- Start to finish:13 hr (includes chilling)
July 2004
The recipe for this strawberry cup includes white vinegar and sugar, which added just a hint of naughtiness—once you sweeten the vinegar it tempers the sourness, and the combination is vaguely suggestive of wine.
-
2 3/4
lb
strawberries (about 5 pt), trimmed and hulled
-
1
cup
distilled white vinegar
-
2
cups
sugar, or to taste
-
3
qt
cold water or club soda (96 fl oz)
-
Ice cubes
-
Special equipment:
a 2-qt pitcher
-
Pulse strawberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped, then transfer to a large bowl and stir in vinegar. Chill, covered, 12 hours.
-
Pour into a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl and let drain, gently stirring frequently and pressing without forcing any pulp through sieve, until juice in bowl measures 3 1/2 to 4 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard pulp.
-
Transfer juice to a 3-quart heavy nonreactive saucepan and stir in 2 cups sugar, then cook over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, 5 to 6 minutes. If desired, add more sugar to taste. Cool syrup 30 minutes (you will have about 4 cups).
-
For each pitcherful, stir 1 cup syrup together with 3 cups water or soda in pitcher and add ice to fill.
Cooks’ note: Syrup keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week.
