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Use this easy, versatile sour cherry syrup in a cocktail, a Shirley Temple, or drizzled liberally into soda water to make an Italian soda. It’s ready in minutes and keeps for a month in the fridge.
Why we love this recipe
This syrup has it all. Tart, sweet, a little bit floral, a little bit bracing, it adds interest and dimension to a wide variety of beverages. You can use it instead of or in combination with lemon juice to flavor and brighten everything from a glass of soda water to a gin and tonic.
Since it keeps for a long time in the fridge or freezer, it’s a great way to preserve some of your sour cherry haul for use throughout the year.
I first published this recipe here in 2018. I’ve updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Sour cherries, also called tart cherries, are delicate, thin-skinned, and bright red. As the name suggests, they’re very sour, and they have a floral briskness that really shines when lightly sweetened. They come in several varieties, including Moreno and Montmorency (pictured). You can use them interchangeably.
- Using a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water makes this a very versatile syrup. In essence, it acts as both the simple syrup and tart component in cocktails and more.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make a beautiful batch of syrup . You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Place pitted sour cherries, water, and sugar into a small pot.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Let cool, then store (with or without cherries) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
Expert tips and FAQs
Try it in cocktails such as our twist on a French 75, in a Shirley Temple, or drizzled into soda water to make an Italian soda.
Don’t I always? If you’d like to make this into a thicker syrup that you can use as a sauce for ice cream and baked goods, here’s what to do. Stir together one tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice until perfectly smooth.
At the nine minute mark, pour it into the pot, stir well, and continue to simmer for about a minute, until syrup thickens. Transfer to a blender and process until perfectly smooth.
Once cool, sauce is ready to use.
More favorite ways to use sour cherries
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Sour Cherry Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300 grams) sugar
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) water
- 3 cups 425 grams/15 ounces pitted sour cherries
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a small pot.
- Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to maintain a brisk simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes, until liquid is bright red.
- Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
Notes
- Weigh the cherries after removing pits and stems.
- You can store the cherries right in the syrup and add them to drinks, or strain them out and eat separately. Try them over yogurt with granola, in smoothies, or add to other recipes like muffins or cake.
- Syrup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Or freeze it for up to a year.
- If you’d like to make this into a thicker syrup that you can use as a sauce for ice cream and baked goods, here’s what to do. Stir together one tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice until perfectly smooth. At the nine minute mark, pour it into the pot, stir well, and continue to simmer for about a minute, until syrup thickens. Transfer to a blender and process until perfectly smooth. Once cool, sauce is ready to use.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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