Make Your Own Maraschino Cherries Food

HOMEMADE MARASCHINO CHERRIES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the sugar, cherry juice, and cinnamon stick, cooking until sugar dissolves and stirring frequently about 3 - 5 minutes.
• Add the pitted cherries, continue to cook over medium heat for 8 - 10 minutes. Turn off heat, and add in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
• If you are not using a hot water bath then allow to cool, and gently transfer to clean jar(s) and keep in jars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• If using the hot water bath to seal, transfer cherries and their liquid to clean, sterilized jars while cherries are hot. Do not fully tighten lids, just finger tight.
• Fill a large stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Place jars carefully in the stockpot, bring water back to a boil and process for 10 minutes. For more details on canning and hot water baths, this is a great article to reference.

HOMEMADE MARASCHINO CHERRIES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring the water and pickling salt to a boil in a pot, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool for 10 minutes, then pour over pitted sweet cherries. Cover and let sit 12 hours or overnight.
• Drain the cherries, discarding the brine, and rinse in cold water. Place in a bowl and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, and red food coloring, if using. Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and remove from the heat.
• Pour the liquid over the cherries, cover, and let stand for 24 hours.
• Drain the cherries, reserving the juice. Set the cherries aside. Bring reserved juice to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract, if using.
• Pour the warm liquid over the cherries.
• Pack the cherries with the juice in clean jars and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

MAKE YOUR OWN MARASCHINO CHERRIES

Steps:

• Soak pitted cherries overnight in heated brine.
• The next morning, drain cherries. Rinse them in cold water. Combine cherries, water, sugar, lemon juice, and red food coloring. Heat to the boiling point.
• Let stand about 24 hours. Again, boil juices, pour over cherries and let stand 24 hours. Bring to boil again. Add almond extract and cherries. Pack in hot sterilized jars and seal.
• The Ball Blue book says boil this in a water bath-pints-20 minutes, quarts-25 minutes.

REAL MARASCHINO CHERRIES

Steps:

• Bring the liqueur to a simmer, and then turn off the heat. Add the cherries, stir, let cool, and then pour into jars. Refrigerate. Cherries will be tasty for months.

HOMEMADE MARASCHINO CHERRIES

Steps:

• Remove pits from cherries.
• Combine 8 cups water and ascorbic acid.
• Stir until crystals are dissolved.
• Add cherries to the solution.
• Don't allow the fruit to remain more than 20 minutes.
• Rinse fruit; drain well.
• Combine 1 1/2 cup water and sugar.
• Bring to a boil.
• Stir in food coloring and add the cherries.
• Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes.
• Cool completely, allowing cherries to soak 24 hours.
• Next day, bring to a boil and then stir in almond extract.
• Pack hot cherries into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
• Shake jars to get firm pack.
• Bring syrup to a boil and ladle hot syrup into jars.
• Process in water bath for 15 minutes for 1/2 pint jars.