Lebanese Strawberry Juice with Rose Water
A silky, chilled strawberry juice scented with a whisper of rose water, in the style of Lebanese juice bars. Blending the berries with sugar and water, then straining, gives a bright, pink, pulp-free drink that is sweet, floral and refreshing.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Makes
- About 4 cups (950 ml), 4 servings
Steps
Before you start
- Chill the water and serving glasses (or pitcher) so the juice is cold sooner and ice doesn't dilute it.
- Use ripe, fragrant, deep red strawberries; the juice is only as sweet and flavorful as the fruit.
- Rose water strength varies by brand. Start with the smaller amount and add more to taste; too much tastes soapy.
- Plan on at least 1 hour of chilling time after blending for the best flavor.
Prepare the strawberries
- Rinse the strawberries under cold water and pat dry.
- Cut off the green hulls and halve the berries, quartering any that are larger than a golf ball so the blender handles them evenly.
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Ready when: All berries are hulled with no green left and are in similar-sized pieces.
Tip: Rinse before hulling so the berries don't soak up water.
Blend the base
- Add the strawberries, 1 cup (240 ml) of the cold water, the sugar and the lemon juice to the blender.
- Blend on high for 45–60 seconds.
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Ready when: The mixture is completely smooth, bright pink-red and no large chunks of berry remain.
Tip: Lemon juice brightens the flavor and helps keep the color vivid.
Strain the juice
- Set the fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl or pitcher.
- Pour in the puree in two batches.
- Stir and press gently with a rubber spatula or the back of a ladle so the juice passes through and the seeds and pulp stay behind.
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Ready when: Only a dry-looking layer of seeds and pulp remains in the sieve, about ½ cup (120 ml) or less.
Tip: Press gently; forcing hard pushes bitter seed bits through and clouds the juice.
Rinse and thin
- Pour the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) cold water into the blender, swirl to collect the leftover puree, and pour it through the sieve over the juice.
- Discard the pulp or save it for yogurt or oatmeal.
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Ready when: The juice is pourable and about the thickness of light cream.
Flavor with rose water
- Stir in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) rose water.
- Taste.
- Add more rose water in ¼-teaspoon (1.25 ml) increments, and more sugar a teaspoon at a time, until it is sweet with a gentle floral note.
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Ready when: You can taste rose as a soft perfume, not a soapy or perfumey flavor.
Tip: Chilling mutes sweetness slightly, so make the juice a touch sweeter than you think you need.
Chill thoroughly
- Cover the bowl or pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld and the juice gets very cold.
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Ready when: The juice is very cold to the touch of the container.
Tip: Skip ice in the pitcher; add it to glasses instead so the juice stays full-flavored.
Stir and serve
- Stir the chilled juice well, since fine pulp settles.
- Fill four glasses with ice if using, pour the juice over, and sprinkle each with a pinch of dried rose petals.
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Ready when: Juice is evenly pink with no separated layer.
Good to know
Tips
- Choose berries that are red all the way to the top; white shoulders mean less sweetness and paler juice.
- Strain through a fine sieve rather than cheesecloth for speed; for a crystal-clear juice, strain a second time.
- Add rose water gradually and taste often because brands differ widely in strength.
- Serve the leftover pulp stirred into yogurt, oatmeal or smoothies so nothing is wasted.
Make ahead
Make the juice up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Stir well before serving and add ice only to the glasses.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate in a covered jar or pitcher for up to 2 days; the color and flavor are best within 24 hours. Not recommended at room temperature for more than 1 hour. To freeze, pour into ice cube trays or freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge or blend cubes with a splash of water. Stir or shake before serving.
Substitutions
- ripe strawberries → frozen strawberries, thawed with their juices. Use the same weight; you may need slightly less sugar as frozen berries release extra liquid.
- granulated sugar → honey or simple syrup. Use 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) honey, stirred in until dissolved; honey adds its own flavor.
- rose water → orange blossom water. A traditional Lebanese alternative; use the same amount, adding gradually to taste.
- cold water → cold sparkling water. Stir it in after straining for a fizzy version; use it for the final ½ cup (120 ml) only.