How to make redcurrant syrup?

In late spring and early summer, the garden buzzes with activity as we harvest small fruits. Among them, the redcurrant bushes reveal their round, juicy berries with a tangy flavour. Whether from gooseberries or redcurrants, these berries can be enjoyed fresh, as an accompaniment to savoury dishes (meat, fish, sauces...) or sweet treats (cakes, jams, sorbets...). And if, for a change from traditional redcurrant jellies and other delicious tarts, we made a delightful syrup? Discover our easy homemade redcurrant syrup recipe.

A delicious redcurrant syrup to flavour drinks and pastries

When, how and where to harvest redcurrants?

Redcurrants are mostly harvested between June and August, depending on the variety. Picking is best done in the morning or late afternoon, when it's not raining. These small fruits should be harvested when ripe, easily detaching from their cluster or branch. You can pick them one by one by hand or take whole clusters. After picking, rinse your redcurrants if needed under a gentle tap water stream.

Redcurrants don’t always ripen at the same time, and they only keep for about a week in the fridge. Therefore, it’s not always easy to gather enough fruit in a single harvest. To overcome this, you can freeze them gradually as you pick them.

Tip: To preserve the taste and texture of redcurrants, chill them in the fridge for an hour before freezing.

Redcurrant clusters are mainly harvested by hand

Which redcurrant variety to choose?

The Grossulariaceae family includes over 200 species, among which are fruit-bearing redcurrants. The most well-known are the redcurrants, recognisable by their small red berries grouped in clusters. The blackcurrant belongs to the same family but bears black fruits. Then there’s the Grape Currant, a later variety with long, easy-to-pick peduncles. The Gooseberry produces larger fruits, and the Jostaberry is a cross between blackcurrant and gooseberry.

In terms of productivity, the gooseberry typically yields 3 to 4 kg per mature plant, the redcurrant about 3 kg, and the Grape Currant 8 to 10 kg. To make a lovely redcurrant syrup, we mainly select red fruits for their colour.

Among all these varieties, here’s a small (but tasty) selection:

The Redcurrant 'Rolan' is a self-fertile red variety, highly resistant to diseases. It produces long clusters of berries with a balanced sweet-tart flavour.
The Redcurrant 'Jonkheer van Tets' is prized for its good productivity and early fruiting. Self-fertile, it bears long clusters of small red berries. Its excellent hardiness allows it to thrive in cold-winter regions.
The Grape Currant 'Agate Rouge' is a late, self-fertile red variety. It yields long clusters of small red berries, easy to harvest.
The Gooseberry 'Captivator' stands out for its large, juicy, sweet berries with mild acidity—perfect for snacking or cooking. Plus, it’s early, self-fertile, and thornless.

→ Browse all our redcurrant varieties.

→ Also check out our buying guide: "Choosing the right redcurrant: a buying guide"

Fruits of the Redcurrant 'Jonkheer van Tets' and Gooseberry 'Captivator'

Homemade redcurrant syrup recipe

Ingredients:

To make 50 cl of redcurrant syrup, you’ll need:

500 g fresh redcurrants
250 g white sugar or cane sugar
250 cl water
Optional: half an organic lemon or 5 cl lemon juice to improve preservation
A saucepan
A fine-mesh sieve (like a chinois or strainer) or a clean cloth
A wooden spoon
A sterilised bottle (or a jam jar)

Sugar, water, a saucepan, a fine-mesh sieve, and fresh garden berries. Let’s make redcurrant syrup!

Method:

Before starting: remember to sterilise your container (bottle, jar…) beforehand.

1/ Rinse your redcurrants under cold tap water and drain well. For this recipe, there’s no need to remove the stems. However, discard any damaged fruits and leaves.
2/ Place your redcurrants in the saucepan.
3/ Pour in the water and bring to a boil.

Add the redcurrants, then pour in the water into a saucepan over heat

4/ Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. At the end, crush the berries with a wooden spoon.

Stir occasionally, crushing the berries with a spoon at the end of cooking.

5/ Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (a chinois is ideal) or a clean cloth. Press the berries to extract all the juice into a bowl.

Strain the mixture. Press the berries firmly with a spoon to extract all the juice

6/ Pour the juice back into the saucepan and place over heat.
7/ Add the sugar and lemon juice.

Return the juice to the saucepan, add sugar and lemon juice, and simmer for 10 minutes

8/ Cook for 8 to 10 minutes on low heat, stirring regularly. Be careful! If cooked too long, you’ll end up with a delicious redcurrant jelly—perfect for breakfast toast but not ideal for syrup.
9/ Without letting it cool, immediately pour the syrup into a sterilised bottle or jar.

Tip: You can also make a mixed berry syrup by adding blackberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, strawberries, cherries, and fresh blueberries.

How long does redcurrant syrup keep?

Your redcurrant syrup can be stored for 15 days to 1 month in the fridge.

Recipe ideas:

Redcurrant syrup is perfect for flavouring drinks. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to a glass of still or sparkling water, throw in some ice cubes, stir, and enjoy! Garnish with fresh redcurrants and mint leaves for decoration.
You can also use redcurrant syrup in cocktails or simply mix it with orange juice.
It’s also great as a coulis to enhance desserts and crumbles, ice creams and sorbets, cakes and tarts, pancakes and waffles, biscuits and yoghurt.