Wash and dry fruit. Slice larger fruits into bite-sized pieces.

Place fruit into large glass or plastic bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and liquid. Toss until fruit is evenly coated. Cover.

Let fruit sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate, stirring occasionally. It’s best to leave overnight, particularly if using harder-fleshed fruits. Note: This is a great way to use up fruits that aren’t very sweet.

Wash and dry fruit. Slice larger fruits into bite-sized pieces.

Add fruit to saucepan along with sugar, water and herbs/spices. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the color and flavor of the fruit has leeched out into the water.

Strain the fruits from the liquid using a fine mesh strainer and cool liquid in the fridge. Note: This is the time to introduce Benny’s herbaceous flavors. Add black peppercorns to strawberry syrup, bay leaves to blackberry syrup, thyme to peach syrup or jalapeno to mixed berry syrup.

Add 2 tablespoons macerated fruit to a tall glass, followed by 2 tablespoons simple syrup. Top with soda water and garnish generously with herbs/cucumber/flowers.