Jerez Cherry Liqueur Food

SOUR CHERRY BRANDY (VIšNJEVAčA)

Steps:

• Destem sour cherries. Get rid of damaged ones or the ones with worms. Wash the remaining, destemmed cherries. (Optional: make sour cherry stem tea by drying the stems on a table for a few days.)
• Layer sour cherries and sugar in the jar. Start with sour cherries, then generously cover with about 4 tbsp of sugar. Repeat until you fill the entire jar.
• Pour brandy in the filled jar slowly. Pour as much brandy as the jar can take. This process may take a few minutes. (My jar took about 1.5 cups after sugar and sour cherries. Yours may take more.) If space allows, add more sugar on top, and fasten the lid.
• Take the jar outside, and leave in direct sunlight (or a place with a lot of light) for about 40 days or 6 weeks.
• Every 4-5 days take a spatula with a long handle and mix the sugar and sour cherries well. Undo the lid, take out a few cherries from the top and mix thoroughly. Return sour cherries to the jar and fasten the lid.
• After 40 days, strain the brandy into glass bottles. Keep remaining sour cherries to use in a dessert.
• Serve sour cherry brandy (višnjevača) with dessert, with coffee, or as an aperitif.

CHERRY BOUNCE LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Thoroughly clean a 2 quart container with a secure lid. I use an apple cider jug that has been cleaned very well.
• Clean and stem cherries, if using fresh cherries. Thaw if using frozen.
• Crush cherries a bit to release flavor, keeping all juice and adding to container.
• Place remaining ingredients in container.
• Shake until sugar is dissolved.
• Keep in a cool, dark place shaking once a week for 3 weeks to 6 months. The longer it sits, the better it gets.
• Strain and bottle into clean containers of your choice. I use empty beer bottles with a hinged cap.
• Serve as an aperitif, a digestif or in lieu of a dessert wine.
• Also makes a great gift if you can stand to give it up.

CHERRY STONE LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Wash and thouroughly dry the cherry stones. Crush them with a heavy rolling pin and put them in a jar with the brandy. Add the sugar, cover and shake well.
• Leave in a warm place for about 1 month. Strain and pour into sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
• Note: Other stone fruits, one type only or a mixture, can also be made into liqueurs.

JEREZ CHERRY LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Pierce each cherry three to four times in a row (up and down)on one side of the cherry. I used a sharp skewer. Remove Stems.
• Fill each jar half-full with the cherries. Place a lemon wedge in each jar and top each with a tablespoon of sugar and two tablespoons of Amaretto.
• Fill jars with brandy. Screw lid on tight and shake to combine.
• Put in a cool dark place for 6 months.

CHERRY LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Mix vodka, brandy and sugar in a large glass measure or medium mixing bowl; stir well to dissolve.
• Cut each washed cherry slightly to open, leave in pits.
• Place cherries in two sterile, quart wide mouth jars or one larger aging container.
• Pour liquid mixture over cherries; stir and cap with tight lids.
• For the first two weeks, shake jars several times.
• Let age in a cool, dark place for at least 3 months for best flavor.
• Strain off liqueur through a wire mesh strainer and discard cherries.
• Rebottle as desired.
• Liqueur is ready in 3 months.
• VARIATIONS:Almond-Cherry Liqueur: For a more prominent"almond" flavor, pit all or part of the cherries.
• Place cherry pits in a clean cloth and hit with a hammer to break them up slightly.
• Put broken pits and pitted cherries in jars or large container and continue as directed.
• Sugarless Cherry Liqueur: Substitute 1 cup apple juice concentrate, undiluted, for the sugar in the Cherry Liqueur recipe.
• Proceed as directed.
• The"sugars" present will be natural fruit sugars rather than the granulated processed sugars.
• Taste is excellent; aging is the same.

MORELLO (SOUR) CHERRY LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Wash and remove the stems from the cherries.
• Place a layer of cherries in a 4-quart jar and cover with a ½ inch layer of sugar.
• Continue layering cherries and sugar in this manner, ending with sugar.
• Add the spices and vodka.
• Seal jar.
• Place in a spot that receives the most sunlight during the day.
• Leave to macerate for 4 weeks.
• Add the brandy.
• Seal tightly and let stand another 2 weeks, shaking every so often.
• Strain into another bottle.
• Discard spices.
• Put cherries back in the bottle.
• Store in a cool, dark place.
• To serve: Pour into your pretties liqueur glass (the liqueur is ruby-red) and add 1-2 cherries to each glass.