Strawberry tops most often end up in the compost bin, but there are many ways to use them in your recipes. And yes, they are edible! And also nutritious. We're not suggesting you use strawberry tops as they are and nibble away, but take a look at a few different ways to make the most of them in your kitchen.
1. Make infused water: Add a couple handfuls of strawberry tops to a big jug of water and let it infuse for at least 2 hours in the fridge. It will give the water a nice and subtle berry flavor – as well as a pretty light pink hue. You can also add in citrus slices, cucumber slices and/or fresh herbs to frther flavour the water.
2. Add them to a smoothie: If you’re adding strawberries to smoothies, add them whole without having to bother removing the tops. If you have strawberry tops leftover from another recipe where you used strawberries, and the tops to your usual smoothie to maximize nutrition and limit waste. They'll go in almost any smoothie, just make sure you blend the mixture well so it's nice and smooth.
3. Transform them into syrup: Combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Add in some strawberry tops and pop the lot in the fridge for at least 2 hours to infuse. Strain and use the liquid in cocktails and cold drinks (it’s delicious in lemonade!), to further flavour fruit salads or to sweeten plain yogurt.
4. Make strawberry-infused vinegar: Add your strawberry tops to a jar and cover completely with vinegar (apple cider vinegar works well). Let it stand for at least an hour to infuse. Then strain and use in dressings or any other application where you'd use vinegar.
