In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water with a fork or whisk. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, add strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and remaining ¼ cup water. Stir to combine.
Heat over medium-low heat until boiling. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add cornstarch slurry to the saucepan and boil for an additional minute.
Allow to cool slightly. Add to a food processor or blender and blend until desired consistency is achieved.
Cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
Notes
Storage: Store this strawberry syrup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Freeze this strawberry syrup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator a day before use.
If you like your syrup/sauce slightly chunkier with larger bits of strawberry, skip blending in step 5 and just allow the syrup to cool slightly before serving.
If using frozen strawberries: Use a 16-ounce package of sliced strawberries instead of 1 lb of fresh strawberries. DO NOT THAW! Omit the ¼ cup of water added to the saucepan when using fresh strawberries. I liked using the sliced instead of whole berries because they were easier to work with and thawed in the saucepan faster. The amount of sugar is the same due to frozen strawberries being picked at peak ripeness/sweetness.
The sauce may seem thin at first. However, it will thicken considerably upon cooling and during refrigeration.