Maraschino Cherries

Recipe By: Oregon State University and Blue Ribbon Preserves

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 1/2 pounds Royal Anne cherries -- (or sour red cherries)
ascorbic acid crystals or vegetable whitener
2 tablespoons salt -- (canning and pickling)
1 teaspoon alum -- (optional)
8 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 cups water
1 ounce red food coloring
juice of 1 lemon -- (strained)
1 tablespoon almond extract -- (pure almond)

Wash and pit cherries. Put immediately in acidulated water. Do not leave more than 20 minutes.

Make brine of 2 tablespoons salt and teaspoon alum per quart of water used. Make sure crystals are well-dissolved. Add cherries, weight so brine covers fruit and leave overnight.

Drain cherries and rinse thoroughly. Meanwhile, make syrup of sugar, water and corn syrup. Heat on medium-low, stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Add cherries and food coloring.

Reduce heat and simmer gently 5 minutes (alternatively just remove from heat using only residual heat - not what I did this time but consider). Remove pan from heat and cool mixture. When totally cool, cover and leave cherries standing in syrup 24 hours.

Next day bring cherries and syrup just to a boil, adding almond extract and lemon juice. (Also any optional flavorings - see notes). I taste-tested to determine amount of almond extract.

Pack hot cherries into hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.

Meanwhile, line a sieve with several layers of damp cheesecloth and strain syrup. Return syrup to heat and a quick boil.

Ladle syrup into jars, covering cherries. 1/2" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Lift jars and look through bottoms for any hidden air bubbles there. Add more syrup if needed. Bottle up any remaining syrup. Wipe rims and threads. Cover with prepped lids. Process half-pints or pints 15 minutes.

I can personally vouch for the Raising the Bar maraschinos that cloud_swift posted. Nothing like the jarred ones & they are delicious as a cake or ice cream topping as well. I usually double the recipe and still have yet to see them last for two weeks because they're long gone.
We use frozen cherries.

Nina

Thank you, cloud_swift, I was looking for a recipe that used sweet cherries.

Carol, I have your recipe and I even have (or used to have, LOL) a jar of those that you made and canned. They were completely different than those you buy at the store and they sure didn't last long, I used some as a topping for chocolate cherry cookies, but quickly decided to just eat them right out of the jar! I didn't pick any sour cherries this year other than the few I got from my own young trees and Dad claimed all of those for jam. (grin) The Royal Anne's are expensive and hard to find here, but I wonder how that recipe would be with the dark sweet cherries?

I was hoping for a recipe that I could make in a pinch or in a hurry and on a smaller basis than the canning recipe and this seems to be it. Plus, I have all those lovely sweet cherries I picked this summer, I wonder how frozen cherries would work....

In any event, I think I'll use BOTH of these recipes, especially since I live here 90 miles south of the "Cherry Capital".

Annie

Of course, I'm not Annie, but Wow I never even thought of making Marachino cherries. Cloudswift, I am so glad to have this quick recipe. Sue