We are in the middle of strawberry season, enough to have a great time with a good fruit salad, homemade compotes, a strawberry pie or simply some of these beautiful red fruits accompanied by sugar or whipped cream (and even without anything to enjoy their delicately tangy aroma). Mechanically, we then have the habit of washing them, then stalking them before tasting them. But what a waste! Indeed, strawberry stems have a lot of flavor and unsuspected virtues that make it wrong for you to put them in the trash. So don’t throw away your strawberry stalks anymore. You will see, they will be precious allies in the garden and in the kitchen for those who know how to use them. With these zero waste ideas that are as clever as they are original and sometimes also very greedy, we bet that you will discover a new passion for these little green leaves!
Good to know: for tricks that require a good amount of leaves, put them aside as you go in the freezer. Perfect for those who devour tray after tray with relish.
Recycling ideas in the garden for your strawberry tails
1) These green tails are an excellent natural fertilizer
These little leaves may not look like much, but they are full of minerals and organic matter. So you can use it to enrich your compost and thus nourish your plants after decomposition. There is no doubt that this little addition will go very well with your vegetable peelings, eggshells, green waste and other ingredients to form a natural fertilizer rich in good nutrients and very effective.
2) Strawberry tails to repel pests
Certain compounds in these leaves act as a natural repellent against certain pests from the garden or vegetable patch. To do this, you will have to start by crushing these tails and spreading them around the plantations which are being attacked by pests, starting with slugs and snails. Your plants will have a quieter summer!
3) A nutritious infusion to strengthen your plants
You probably know the banana peel infused water to give plants a boost, but do you know the strawberry stem version? Used for watering plants, it will provide them with lots of good nutrients. For this, we advise you to set aside a good quantity. Then, all you have to do is pour them into a bucket of rainwater and leave to infuse for several days before watering.
4) A fertilizer for your young shoots
Sometimes the seedlings have trouble getting started. To ensure successful growth and rapid growth, put the odds on your side with this fertilizer that will cost you nothing extra. To do this, simply mix the tailed part with a little water to form a very flexible and liquid consistency. Then soak your seeds in it before planting. Enough to guarantee rapid development (both for the seeds and for the gardener 😉!).
The uses of strawberry stems in the kitchen
1) A pesto with strawberry tails
As a change from the basil pesto, we had already given you the idea of using mint from the garden. However, the tails of these red fruits also lend themselves very well to this very popular recipe. All you have to do is combine them with the ingredients you like (pine nuts, parmesan, oil, lemon juice, hazelnuts, etc.) and mix everything until you obtain the desired texture. It’s a surprising idea, but you’ll see: the taste will be there!
2) Add to a smoothie
Do you like making smoothies? Before turning on the blender, remember to add these little unusual leaves in addition to your usual ingredients. This will allow you to add even more flavor to your drink. Look like nothing, so you can recycle this food waste while enjoying their benefits !
3) A hot or iced tea with a touch of originality
Infused for a moment, the leaves of your Gariguette, Maras des Bois, Reines des Vallées or other strawberries naturally flavor the hot water with a subtle strawberry flavor, very pleasant in the mouth. You can then consume this beverage hot or cold. Do not hesitate to enhance the taste of your homemade iced tea with green or white tea, mint, verbena, rosemary or even lemon juice to treat yourself! Finally, sweeten to your liking (with sugar or honey) and add a few ice cubes if you wish for a tasting that is as delicious as it is refreshing.
4) Strawberry stem vinegar
These talented leaves don’t just make their way into your sweet recipes! The leaf-flavored vinegar will bring a real plus to your summer salads. In fact, you can refrigerate a jar of cider vinegar with strawberry stems. Then you can strain it all and use it in a homemade vinaigrette or to add a thin drizzle of this vinegar to your cucumbers or tomatoes.
5) Strawberry tail syrup recipe
In a saucepan, pour 300 ml of water, 150 g of strawberry leaves, 150 g of sugar and fresh lemon juice (to your liking). Heat your ingredients over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. If the syrup is still too liquid, let it cook a little longer before filtering and bottling everything in a well-sealed bottle. Store your syrup in the fridge and use it to enhance a very cold lemonade or your favorite water. With a mint leaf and a slice of lemon, it will be a delight and a must for your summer cocktails!
6) Strawberry leaf jelly
A fruity jelly is always a pleasure, especially when it allows fight food waste and it’s easy to do. All you have to do is combine your ingredients: 300 g of strawberries, 800 g of water, jam sugar and 1 level teaspoon of agar-agar. Then bring the water and leaves to a boil for 15 minutes before steeping overnight. This will allow the scent of the leaves to develop well. The next day, strain the leaves by recovering a maximum of juice. Bring everything to the boil again, this time adding the weight of the liquid obtained in sugar as well as the agar-agar to the preparation. All that remains is to transfer into sterilized jars and let cool completely. There is no doubt that this jelly will seduce you, both on your morning toast and as an accompaniment to natural yoghurt.
To continue on this line with other anti-waste tips for the summer and spring season, consider (re)discovering our tips for using your cherry pits, uses of watermelon rind, ideas for recycling pits apricots as well as an aperitif recipe based on melon pips. Enough to lighten your bins even more and get your money’s worth!
