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1
Place the strawberries in a large bowl, pour in 2 cups of the sugar, and mix until the strawberries are coated.
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2
Pour the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar in an even layer to cover the strawberries.
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3
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it sit at room temperature, stirring once or twice, until the sugar has mostly dissolved, about 12 hours.
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4
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl.
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5
Stir the strawberry mixture again to help dissolve any sugar at the bottom of the bowl.
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6
Pour the strawberries and all of the liquid through the strainer, stirring the fruit but not pushing on it.
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7
Reserve the strawberries in the strainer for another use.
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8
Stir the orange juice into the syrup.
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9
Pour 1/4 cup of the syrup into a tall glass and add 1/2 cup of the sparkling water.
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10
Stir gently to combine, fill the glass with ice, and serve.
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11
Transfer any remaining syrup to a container with a tightfitting lid and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
