Fresh Strawberry Punch Just in Time for Summer

Sweet, tart and sparkling, this vintage, non-alcoholic drink using fresh strawberries is the perfect beverage to usher in the summer season.

As soon as warmer temps arrive, I start to go on the hunt for cool, summery drink recipes to try. My family loves involving blending fruit juices together to make a new, exciting concoction. Anything with berries just take things to another level, like this summery Strawberry Punch using fresh strawberries as its base.

One thing not many people might know about vintage or wartime recipes is that they had a lot of drink ideas for all seasons. For warm weather they had various lemonades, coolers, punches, etc. The list is blissfully long and ripe for exploration!

As it’s strawberry season, I went on the hunt for some fun strawberry recipes. I spied this Strawberry Punch recipe in my 1944 copy of Good Housekeeping Cook Book and knew I had to try it.

I had bowls full of freshly-picked berries from a local farm which was perfect for this purpose. And since it’s a drink recipe, it’s pretty easy and straightforward – just dumping ingredients together. However, in order to draw out that sweet, summery strawberry goodness, it does take one extra step in advance.

Strawberry Punch Tips:

• The base for this punch is a strawberry syrup made from fresh strawberries. Make the syrup a day in advance so it has time to get nice and chilled before you need to mix the drink.
• No need to cut up the strawberries. Just wash, hull them, and put them in the boiling syrup mixture!
• Can you use frozen or store-bought berries? Yes, but the flavor of freshly picked strawberries when their flavor is at its peak will lend themselves best to the recipe.
• If you’re wary of the corn syrup, don’t replace it 1:1 with more sugar. Corn syrup is much less sweet than cane sugar, plus it’s a liquid. It takes 1 1/4 c. corn syrup to replace 1 c. sugar or 1 c. sugar + 1/4 c. water to replace 1 c. corn syrup. So if you’d like to replace the corn syrup in this recipe, I’d recommend 1/4 c. sugar + 1 Tbsp. water.
• I opted for orange juice with pulp in it, because we’re a fan, but if you want the beautiful color of this punch to really shine through, choose pulp-free orange juice.
• To make this punch for a crowd, simply double. The original recipe was for a crowd, but I cut it down for my family. It’s a great recipe, so it’s perfect for a summer party!

Tools You May Need:

• paring knife or strawberry huller
• 2 qt. pitcher or larger
• long-handled spoon
• 4-6 qt. stainless steel pot with lid
• medium sieve
• quart mason jar with lid
• measuring cups, liquid and dry

How to make Fresh Strawberry Punch:

Ingredients:

• 2 c. water
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. corn syrup
• 4 c. strawberries, washed & hulled
• 1 1/2 c. chilled orange juice
• 1/2 c. chilled lemon juice
• 2 c. ginger ale
• 1 thinly sliced lime

In a medium pot, mix together the water, sugar, and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Add the strawberries, bring back up to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, covered. Keep a watch on it or it may boil over.

What you end up with is a gorgeous ruby red light syrup.

Strain the berries and syrup with a sieve without crushing the berries. This will keep the syrup really clear. Store in a quart mason jar in the fridge until thoroughly chilled. For best results, make this part of the recipe the day before.

Just before serving, take a large pitcher and mix together the chilled strawberry syrup, orange juice, lemon juice, ginger ale, and sliced limes. For good measure, you can take the lime ends and squeeze them into the mixture before discarding. Stir to blend well. Use limes or strawberries for garnish. Serve with or without ice.

Find More Great Wartime Recipes:

• Old-Fashioned Homemade Chicken Broth
• Easter Nests: You’ll Love These Adorable Sweet Buns!
• 1943 O’Brien Potatoes
• Tamale Pie Special – A Mexican American Inspired Dish