For all the recipes below, we recommend gently washing the leaves and choosing organic strawberries to avoid pesticides.
1. In an herbal tea
Very fragrant, this herbal tea with cardamom, lemon zest and pink peppercorns is a unique blend that can be infused multiple times. Adding the leaves maximizes the use of the berries and adds an astringent side that balances the other flavours.
Zero-Waste Recipes
Strawberry Leaf Herbal Tea
2. In a syrup
Transform the strawberry tops into a syrup to soak a pound cake, liven up a red fruit salad or a strawberry and brownie sundae, or enhance a basil-based cocktail. You can also use it to make a flavoured water with some sparkling water and a few cut-up pieces of fruit. It’s very hydrating!
3. In a cold infusion
Summer is all about lemonade! Switch things up by adding a few strawberry tops to your water, lemon and sugar mixture, and letting them infuse in the cold for two hours. The result is a lemonade that’s a bit milder than the original, as well as slightly pink.
Non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails
Strawberry Lemonade
4. In a smoothie
In a smoothie or a morning juice, you can add the whole strawberries with their tops, eliminating the hulling process. After rinsing them in water, pat them dry before putting them in the blender. Your drink will be ready in half the time!
5. In a pesto
Much like basil, parsley and cilantro leaves, strawberry’s pretty leaves that are undamaged and well washed are great to use in a pesto. Maintain the same ratio as the other ingredients and then have fun adding it to pasta, a dressing or an avocado spread. You’ll find it has the same vegetal taste as an herb-based pesto. Very unique!
6. In a vinegar
Following the sweet marinated version with syrup, here’s a tangy version that uses strawberry tops, which are left to soak in apple cider vinegar overnight in the fridge. Then simply filter the mixture through a sieve and use it on veggies, lettuce or in a cabbage slaw as a substitute for cider vinegar. It’s delicate and refined.
Strawberries, along with their leaves, are fragile and can spoil quickly. That said, refrigerating them for 2 to 3 days and only washing them just prior to using them is the best way to store the fruit and avoid waste. If you are unable to consume them quickly, hull them prior to freezing. The strawberry leaves can be stored in a separate container in the freezer. This will give you time to think of ways to use the fruit in its entirety, in all sorts of dishes!