Ingredients

   
450g fresh strawberries, stemmed and chopped
65g sugar
900ml whole milk
  Ice

Steps

  1. Combine strawberries and sugar in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally.

  2. Cook 10 minutes until syrupy and thickened, with soft strawberry chunks remaining. Remove from heat.

  3. Transfer to a container and refrigerate at least 2 hours. The puree thickens further as it cools.

  4. To serve, spoon strawberry puree into the bottom of a glass. Swirl some up the sides with the back of a spoon.

  5. Add ice. Pour cold milk over the top.

Analysis

Total drink: ~1415g (450g strawberries cooked with 65g sugar, 900ml whole milk)

Component Amount % of drink
Fat (whole milk) ~30g 2.1%
Sugar (added + fruit + lactose) ~129g 9.1%
Milk protein ~30g 2.1%
Water + purée solids ~1226g 86.7%

Milk carries the body; the sweetness is roughly half added sugar, half milk-and-fruit. Cooking the strawberries down concentrates their flavour and pectin into a syrup rather than watering the milk, which is why fresh berries beat frozen here. Fat sits low at ~2% on whole milk — the richness reads higher because the purée coats. Skim thins it noticeably.

Notes

  • This is Korean-style strawberry milk (딸기우유). The puree is cooked down, not blended raw.
  • Use fresh strawberries. Frozen release too much liquid and the puree won’t get syrupy.
  • Whole milk is best — the fat makes it creamy and rich. Lower-fat milk works but tastes thinner.
  • Make the puree a day ahead for best results. It keeps in the fridge for a week.
  • Don’t pre-mix — pour the milk over the puree fresh each time. It doesn’t hold well once combined.
  • Brown sugar adds a little more depth than white. Both work.