Guys, You Should Really Be Eating Your Strawberry Tops

For your entire life, you’ve probably been cutting off and throwing out your strawberry tops. (Us, too.) Turns out, though, they’re edible--and healthy.

See, wastefulness aside, strawberry leaves actually have some pretty cool healing properties. Namely, they’ve been proven to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort and joint pain. Plus, they taste not so bad--kinda like spinach or any leafy green.

Here, a few uses for these frequently discarded scraps.

Fruity Water. Use washed strawberry tops to infuse your water. The result: slightly sweet, refreshing berry-infused water with slightly more flavor than your typical cucumber and lemon water. 

Vinegar. Add some extra oomph to your summer salad by infusing basic vinegar with strawberries. Just crush strawberries in a sauce pan, add a high-quality white-wine vinegar and bring the mixture to a simmer. After about a minute, pour it into a jar, let it cool and then store it in your cupboard.

Smoothies. You put everything from leafy kale to celery in your morning drink. So why not add strawberry tops to the mix? Plop the whole berry in the blender to give your smoothie more texture and flavor.

Tea. Steep fresh or dried organic strawberry leaves in boiled water for a few minutes. Remove the leaves before drinking.