Simple Strawberry Syrup, Homemade Strawberry Milk!

This is simple.  This is delicious.  This will take you home to the summer days of your childhood.

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 cup of water

Put all ingredients in a 4 qt. pot, bring to a boil, remove from heat, allow to cool to room temperature.  (Use this time to hang some laundry on the line, take a quick bike ride or fix the hole in the screen that’s been letting in the season’s first mosquitoes.)

Next, line a strainer with a double fold of cheese cloth and place over a medium size bowl.  Slowly pour the strawberry mixture into the strainer.  Then with a rubber spatula, gently press down on the strawberries releasing as much of the juice as possible.  Fold up the cheese cloth with the strawberry mash and, I hate to say “throw away” even though that’s what I did, so I welcome any ideas – strawberry muffins, maybe?

Put the jar of this very pretty, sweet, early summery concoction in the fridge until you are ready to have an ice cold glass of homemade strawberry milk.  Pour as much or as little of the syrup into whatever milk you’d like, drop a colorful, striped-straw in it, take it outside, put your feet up, and sip, sip, sip, ahhhh!

*This recipe was inspired by Homemade Snacks and Staples by Kimberly Aime.  A big Thank You, Kimberly!, for offering over 270 tried-and-true preservative-free recipes!  Be inspired at: www.learntocookbadgergirl.com.