11 Creative Ways to Use Strawberry Tops

Last Updated on June 20, 2025

If you’ve been tossing your strawberry tops in the compost or trash, you’re missing out on some nutritious free food. Those leafy caps and the little bit of berry still clinging to them can be transformed into flavorful creations in the kitchen.

Don’t Waste those Strawberry Tops!

If you’re trying to reduce food waste and want to get every last bit of value out of your produce purchases, find out how to use strawberry tops.

I absolutely love learning to use parts of plants most people don’t realize are edible, from nutritious orange peels to crunchy roasted squash seeds. I keep adding to my collection of root-to-stem recipes, so be sure to bookmark it if you’re looking for a shortcut to a waste-less kitchen.

Today’s addition is the oft-neglected top of the strawberry.

If you’re looking for ways to stretch your grocery budget or searching for more affordable superfoods, you’ll be interested to know that in many cases the leaves of many berry plants are even richer in plant polyphenols than the berries themselves. Strawberries are no exception, according to an analysis published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Note that not all berry plants have edible leaves – elderberry for example – so always do your research before adding a bunch of berry leaves to your smoothie. Save yourself a possible bellyache or even trip to the ER.

These studies are looking at the leaves on the plant itself, not just the top of the berry. You could of course go grab some extra leaves off the plants themselves, but you’d be robbing the plant of some of its ability to feed itself and make delicious berries for you.

You Can Eat Strawberry Tops?

Yes, you can! While those cute little green caps aren’t delicious to nibble on their own, they are edible and add a hint of pleasant strawberry flavor as well as nutrients and fiber to whatever you add them to. And if they still have a little berry flesh stuck to them, you’ll be adding that flavor as well.

First of all, for maximizing your use of the strawberries themselves, be sure to cut strawberries efficiently, so the flesh mostly winds up where you want it, whether in delicious healthy smoothies, desserts, or onto the dehydrator. I’ve seen people slice off a lot of yummy strawberry when prepping their fruit, so don’t let that be you.

But even if all you’re left with is the green bit when you’re done with the strawberry, you can still use that strawberry top.

A Few Tips for Using Strawberry Tops

• Choose organic strawberries if you’re planning to use the tops. Conventionally-grown strawberries are often heavily sprayed with pesticides, and like the fruits, the leafy tops can retain residues.
• Use fresh tops soon after cutting or freeze or dehydrate them. They can mold quickly.

Freeze them for Future Use: Not ready to use your strawberry tops right away? Keep a bag in your freezer and toss the tops in as you prep strawberries. You’ll want to freeze them on a cookie sheet before bagging or at least flatten them out in the bag if you’re just putting a few in so you can break off small amounts. Otherwise you’ll have a giant block of frozen strawberry tops.

You can toss them in your next smoothie or use them in one of the recipes below.

Now that we’ve got all that squared away, let’s start with the easiest, no-fuss ways to use your strawberry tops.

Top Uses for Strawberry Tops

1. Toss into Smoothies 

If you like strawberries in your smoothies and want a little exatr green goodness, you can save some prep time and toss in whole strawberries with their tops still on.

Or use just the strawberry tops as an added green in place of kale or spinach in whatever type of smoothie you prefer, and save a little on your smoothie ingredients.

2. Infuse Water 

Strawberry tops add a subtle fruity flavor to water. Try them in homemade seltzer, where the fruity twist makes seltzer even more refreshing on a hot day. 

–> If you’re still buying canned or bottled sparkling water, you’ll save a ton of money and slash the eco-impact of your hydration if you make it yourself at home with one of these easy-to-use machines.)

Add a little rhubarb juice, and you have a strawberry-rhubarb spritzer.

If you’re using still water, leave strawberry tops infusing in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the flavors develop. 

Easy mint infused water is another option, making use of all that plentiful mint.

Note that for any of these ways to use strawberry tops that don’t involve eating the whole thing, you can compost whatever is left after making tea, infused vinegar, or shrub and you’ll get the additional benefit for your garden soil.

3. Brew a Fruity Strawberry Top Tea

Making tea is similar to infusing, but with a much stronger flavor. Hot water pulls out a lot more of the strawberry taste.

To make:

Place a large handful of strawberry tops in a teapot or French press and pour boiling water over them. Steep for 5–10 minutes. The cup of tea pictured above was made with 7 strawberry tops, and has a very subtle flavor. More tops=more flavor.

This is a lightly fruity tea with the flavor of strawberry. If you want a stronger flavor, simmering a few minutes (as opposed to steeping in hot water) will intensify the strawberry flavor, as will using more berry tops.

If you like the flavor of this tea, you could dry strawberry tops to make a strawberry tea any time of year. Adding dried strawberry tops to white or green tea would also be delicious.

See below for info on dehydrating.

4. Dehydrate for Greens Powder (or Tea)

You can dehydrate strawberry tops and put them in an airtight container for later use, whether for making tea or one of the other uses listed here.

If you want a handy way to add more greens to your diet, a greens powder is an excellent option. You can make your own greens powder with whatever greens you choose. If you have enough strawberry tops, you could make a powder solely from them, but you could also dry other greens and mix them together.

I highly recommend getting to know the many edible wild plants that are likely growing in your garden, and consider drying them together with your strawberry tops to make a mixed greens powder full of nutrition. You could add dandelion greens, violet leaf, lambs quarters (aka wild spinach), or chickweed, to name just a few common options. Here are many more wild greens to seek out and consider drying for greens powder.

Instructions:

Place strawberry tops on dehydrator trays.

Set temperature to 130 degrees and dry until crispy. Timing can vary a lot depending on how much flesh is still attached and humidity. Check after 6 hours. Allow to continue drying until fully dehydrated.

Once fully dry, you can grind strawberry tops in a clean coffee grinder or high power blender.

Dehydrators are a wonderful tool for preservation, and they last a really long time. Once you get started dehydrating, I bet you’ll be hooked. Here’s more about getting started dehydrating food, and here are some dehydrators to consider.

5. Infuse Strawberry Tops in Vinegar 

Strawberry tops with a little flesh still attached still carry a lot of flavor and work well for making your own homemade fruit-infused vinegar. They add a stunning red color to vinegar and salad dressings.

Instructions:

White wine vinegar works best for infusing fruit, but you could also try apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or another neutral vinegar you’d like to jazz up with some flavor. You can add herbs like basil or thyme if you want to try combining flavors.

Place strawberry tops in a sterilized jar (right out of the dishwasher works). Cover completely with vinegar and mash a little with a fork to help release the flavor. Some people like to heat the vinegar before pouring it on the fruit, but it’s not necessary.

Cover with a plastic lid (I like these) and allow to infuse for 2 to 4 weeks. You can taste it and decide if it needs to develop more flavor.

Strain out the solids with a mesh strainer or coffee filter, and store in a clean jar. 

Strawberry top vinegar can be used on its own or in salad dressings and marinades. Strawberry top vinaigrette, anyone?

You could also try it in a refreshing shrub or switchel.

6. Strawberry Top Oxymel

Similar to infused vinegar, strawberry top oxymel infuses strawberry tops in both vinegar and honey.

An oxymel is a traditional herbal remedy made from honey and vinegar, and is typically used medicinally, but it can stand in for balsamic vinegar in salad dressings. You get the benefits of whatever plants you steep, along with the probiotics of apple cider vinegar.

If you want to try making a strawberry top oxymel, you can make it with the tops alone or add other beneficial medicinal herbs, like lemon balm or thyme.

To make: 

Opinions differ about the ratio of vinegar to honey, but I like to keep things less sweet and generally do 2 parts vinegar to 1 part  honey. You can do 1:1 if you want something sweeter. I tend to use oxymels on grain salads (like my go-to wild rice salad), so keeping it less sweet works.

Add strawberry tops (and other herbs if you like) to a jar, and cover with 2 parts apple cider vinegar and 1 part honey. You can also steep only in vinegar and add honey later after straining, which may reduce wasted honey that gets stuck in the solids.

Allow to steep for 2 to 4 weeks, shaking occasionally. 

Use in salads or as a flavoring for sparkling water.

7. Infuse in Alcohol to Make Strawberry Extract

Want something unique for cocktails? Infuse strawberry tops into vodka or gin. Place tops in a jar, cover with your spirit of choice, and let it steep for one to two weeks. Strain and enjoy in cocktails. 

8. Make a Strawberry Top Syrup

Though sweet syrups are never my favorite way to use healthy produce, you could make a strawberry top syrup to add flavor to cocktails, lemonade, or spritzers. 

To make: 

Combine strawberry tops with equal parts sugar and water. You can add herbs if you like as well. Simmer for 15–20 minutes and then allow to cool. 

Strain, bottle, and refrigerate. Add a splash to your favorite cool drinks for a hint of strawberry flavor.

9. Blend into Fruit Leather

If you’re making homemade jam or fruit leather, you can blend the tops in with the rest of the fruit—especially if they’re fresh and tender. This works best if you blend everything smooth and strain any tough bits. Best to use a high-powered blender.

Use this homemade fruit leather with rhubarb as a guide. Basically any pureed fruit sauce can be dehydrated to make a delicious fruit leather.

10. Feed Them to Chickens or Rabbits

If you keep backyard animals like chickens or rabbits, strawberry tops make a delightful treat.

11. Add Them to Compost

If you don’t want to eat your strawberry tops, add them to your compost pile or bin. They’ll break down and contribute nutrients to your soil, helping other plants thrive.

That should be plenty of ideas to get you started, but use your imagination and you may find more.

If you love the idea of maximizing what you get from your produce purchases and garden, be sure to check out these posts:

• 35 Genius Uses for Used Coffee Grounds
• 15+ Wild Teas to Forage this Season
• 35+ Ways to Use Dandelions

Save these ideas for using strawberry tops for later!

Cover photo credit: YelenaYemchuk