Cherry Stem Syrup
Cherry season may be ending, but if you remembered to save any of their leftover stems, you’re in for a treat!
Normally we only see cherries as a single fruit, but in reality, we have a total of three ingredients from this one product.
- 1. fruit
- 2. pit
- 3. stem
For this week, let me show you what we can do with the stems!
Cherries are some of the healthiest stone fruits that you can eat, but nutritionists believe that the stems are even better for you than the fruit itself!
Cherry Stems contain precious oils and salts which are both anti-inflammatory and diuretic.
Just like cherries, they also carry powerful detoxifying and depurative properties.
You could say that cherry stems are the most precious part of the fruit!
The best way to extract the nutrients is to make an herbal tea out of them by simply brewing with hot water. Only a few stems are required.
The final product will be an orange/reddish drink with unfamiliar earthy and fruity flavors.
For this recipe, once our tea is made, we will simply turn it into a syrup.
Ingredients
- Cherry Stems
- Dehydrator or Oven
- Mortar & Pestle or Spice/Coffee Grinder
- Sugar
Part I:
Dehydrate & Grind
If you are using a dehydrator place all of your stems in and dry them out at any setting.
If you are using your oven, make sure to lay them out on a tray with wax paper.
Place them in the oven somewhere between 75 – 100°C. Make sure to check them regularly. You don’t want to burn them, you just want to dry them out.
Once you have your dried stems you will need to grind them up.
The best tool for this is a spice/coffee grinder, but if you don’t have one you’ll need to use a mortar and pestle.
Part II:
Brew & add Sugar
For my recipe I’m using 30 ground stems to 500ml of water. Maintain this ratio when brewing larger or smaller quantities of tea.
Bring your water to a boil and add your ground stems.
Make sure that you lower the stove to a simmer.
Let the stems simmer for 15min.
If your tea is still hot get ready to add the sugar.
If you want to make a simple syrup out of the cherry stem tea you’ll have to put equal amounts of tea to sugar.
In my case, I combined 300ml of cherry stem tea to 300ml of sugar.
It’s that simple!
The flavor of the tea will have been enhanced with notes of fruit and earthiness which is perfect for mocktails, and in combination with most spirits and liqueurs.
Although the color of the tea IS beautiful, it will not hold up in most drinks. In other words, it won’t turn your drinks red, but it will give your drinks a distinct hint of flavor.
For built or stirred drinks the syrup stands up very well. If you use it in a shaken drink, chances are that the color won’t show in the finished product, but it will add a nice flavor which will be much more interesting than your traditional simple syrup.
The best part about it is that you don’t need a lot of cherry stems to make this syrup. You just have to remember not to throw them out!
Featured Cocktail:
Old Fashioned Cherry Stem
Try your cherry stem syrup on this twist of an Old Fashioned to get a sense of how it works!
- 60ml Anejo Rum
- 7.5ml Cherry Stem Syrup
- 2 Drops Angostura
Served Neat and Garnished with an Orange Peel.
Similar to a regular old fashioned but with a hint of fruity notes perfect for summer vibes!
