Refreshing Strawberry Juice

This was frequently served to us with lunch in Ecuador. It was especially refreshing on hot days. I finally learned that the secret was to cook the strawberries first to release the juices. Adam is a huge fan. His only complaint was that there was only enough to have seconds. :)

Ingredients:

1 carton fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chilled water (or add more for thinner juice)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:


Cut tops off strawberries, cut them in half, then place in small saucepan. Add vanilla, 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and a little water (just to keep the berries from sticking to the pan). Bring to a slow boil. At this point I love to smell the cooking berries :)

Pour into blender. Add cold water, lemon juice, and sugar. With the sugar, I add it a little at a time, blending in between until I get the sweetness I like.

Blend it up, chill, or serve with ice cubes.