In the height of summer, raspberries generously produce their small red fruits, bathed in sunshine. Delicious to eat as they are, raspberries lend themselves to many homemade preparations: jam, tart, raspberry coulis… and above all, an authentic-tasting raspberry syrup. Easy to make, this raspberry syrup recipe highlights the freshness of garden fruit. A sweet-and-tart note that enhances both summer drinks and homemade desserts.
When and how to harvest raspberries?
Raspberries are harvested in two main periods, depending on type of raspberry plant cultivated. Non-perpetual varieties produce once a year, usually between June and July, whereas perpetual varieties provide a second harvest in August–September, sometimes until first frosts.
→ Find all our varieties of raspberry plants.
In any case, harvesting is done over several days, as fruits do not ripen all at once. A raspberry is ready to harvest when it detaches easily from its receptacle and its colour is even, bright and rich. To preserve aroma and fragile texture, it is best to pick them by hand, early in the morning or late in the day, in dry weather.
Full of flavour but not very sturdy, raspberries should be eaten or processed quickly after picking. However, they can be frozen as you go, with a view to prepare a homemade raspberry syrup later.
Homemade raspberry syrup recipe
Ingredients for about 50 cl of raspberry syrup :
- 500 g fresh garden raspberries (or organic)
- 250 g caster sugar (organic cane sugar is perfect!)
- 25 cl of water
- Facultative : juice of half a lemon for better preservation
- a saucepan
- a fine sieve or a cloth
- a wooden spoon
- a sterilised bottle or a jar to store the raspberry syrup
Preparation of the raspberry syrup :
1- Start by sterilising your container, whether bottle or jam jar, by plunging it a few minutes into boiling water.
2- Put the fruit into a saucepan with the 25 cl of water. If needed, you can rinse the raspberries first, gently, under a gentle stream of cold water and drain carefully without crushing them.
3- Simmer gently for about 10 minutes. At the end of cooking, mash the raspberries with a wooden spoon to release as much juice as possible.
4- Then strain the mixture through a very fine sieve or a clean cloth to remove raspberry seeds. Press well to extract all the juice.
5- Return the obtained juice to the saucepan, add the sugar and the lemon juice (facultative).
6- Heat again for up to 10 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the syrup from crystallising or reducing too much (it may turn into jelly if cooked too long).
7- Pour the hot raspberry syrup into your sterilised container (bottle or jar), then close immediately.
Storage of raspberry syrup
Stored in the fridge, raspberry syrup keeps between 15 days and one month. It can also be frozen in small containers, such as ice cube trays.
Ideas for using raspberry syrup
This fragrant raspberry syrup is wonderful as a refreshing drink, diluted in still or sparkling water, with a few ice cubes and perhaps some mint leaves.
It also flavours natural yoghurts, creams, fruit salads, sorbets, and pastries as a raspberry coulis on cheesecakes, moist cakes or shortbread biscuits. It is also a top ingredient for homemade cocktails.
For a more indulgent version, feel free to combine several small red fruits : raspberries, redcurrants, blackberries, blackcurrants or blueberries. The blend of these flavours produces a rich, well-balanced red-fruit syrup.
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