The long sunny days of spring make strawberries blush and they multiply in the garden as well as on market stalls. Delicious and sweet, we never tire of enjoying them greedily, whether plain, in a tart or as a dessert. But did you know their little stems can also be used in cooking? A perfect way to combine indulgence and zero waste! So instead of throwing them away, discover our delicious strawberry stem syrup recipe!

strawberry stem syrup - zero waste

A strawberry stem syrup garnished with some red fruits and fresh mint leaves

When, how and where to harvest strawberries?

When to harvest?

For non-perpetual strawberry plants, the harvest begins in May until the end of June. For perpetual strawberry plants, picking can extend until autumn, in October. Morning is the best time of day to pick delicious strawberries, as this is when they are most flavourful.

How to harvest strawberries?

Harvest the fruits when they are ripe and fully red. Simply cut the stem holding the strawberry by hand or with scissors. Then place the strawberries in a basket or punnet. Be careful, strawberries are delicate and bruise easily, so they should be cooked or enjoyed quickly on the same day.

picking strawberries by hand

Simply cut the stem connecting the strawberry to the plant

Which strawberry variety to choose?

For this strawberry stem syrup recipe, any variety will do. However, opt for varieties suited to your garden and deliciously fragrant. Here are a few examples to plant in your vegetable garden:

  • The 'Cijosée' strawberry is an organic, perpetual variety that produces medium-sized fruits, well-flavoured, with fine flesh, tangy and juicy. Its strawberries grow above the foliage, making picking easier.
  • Very well-known, the non-perpetual 'Gariguette' strawberry is an early variety, offering beautiful elongated strawberries from May. The flesh of its fruits is firm and juicy, fragrant and slightly tangy.
  • The 'Mara des Bois' strawberry is a classic, known for its good perpetual productivity. Its strawberries are very fragrant and appreciated for their wild strawberry flavour.
  • The 'Anaïs' strawberry is renowned for its good disease resistance. This perpetual variety produces beautiful red fruits, juicy and very fragrant, with a good balance between sweetness and acidity.

→ Discover all our strawberry plant varieties.

'Mara des Bois' and 'Gariguette' strawberry plants

The 'Mara des Bois' and 'Gariguette' strawberry plants

The strawberry stem syrup recipe

Ingredients:

  • Approximately 60g of strawberry stems, equivalent to the stems collected from a whole punnet of strawberries.
  • 80g caster sugar or white sugar.
  • 125ml water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cooking time:

20 minutes

Recipe:

  • 1/ Rinse your strawberries with water.
  • 2/ Using a knife, remove the stems from your small fruits. For a stronger flavour, take a little strawberry flesh with the stems.
removing strawberry stems

Remove the strawberry stems and keep them with a little flesh

  • 3/ In a saucepan, pour the water, sugar, strawberry stems and lemon juice.
  • 4/ Place the saucepan on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
  • 5/ Then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • 6/ Next, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to keep only the liquid. Don't hesitate to press the strawberries to extract as much juice as possible.
  • 7/ Your syrup is ready, all that's left is to pour it into a pretty bottle or a clean jam jar.
  • 8/ You can store your syrup in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
storing strawberry stem syrup in a bottle

Store your strawberry stem syrup in the refrigerator in a bottle

Recipe ideas:

  • Serve your syrup with still or sparkling water and some ice cubes. You can add some decorations to enhance your drink, such as lemon or strawberry slices and fresh mint leaves.
  • This strawberry stem syrup will add a sweet note to your kirs and sparkling wines.
  • You can also use this syrup to drizzle over yoghurts, cakes and dessert creams.

My zero-waste tips:

  • Once the recipe is finished, you can reuse the softened and sweetened strawberry flesh. To do this, remove the green parts to keep only the flesh. It can be used to sweeten your yoghurts or simply enjoyed on toast.
  • With a zero-waste approach, blend the cooked strawberry stems to add to a delicious smoothie.

To go further: