Summer is the season for fresh cherries and making brandied cherries allows you to enjoy their sweet taste year-round. This is an excellent way to preserve the fresh fruit while creating a boozy little treat. Brandied cherries are excellent as ice cream and dessert toppings, or you can skewer them for a cocktail garnish. As an extra bonus, you can add a splash of the spiced brandy syrup to Manhattans, metropolitans, and other cocktails.
Pitting the cherries is the most time-consuming part of this brandied cherry recipe, but it's all rather easy. Once the cherries are prepared, you'll make a spiced syrup, add brandy, then let the cherries steep until everything cools down. There are even storage options: Can the cherries if you prefer or just stick the jar in the fridge.
There are many ways to vary the flavor of brandied cherries. You can include just a few of the recipe's spices or add others in any combination you like. During the peak of cherry season, make up a few variations in separate jars, label each with your custom recipe, then enjoy discovering which combinations you like most.
Ingredients
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1/2 pounds fresh cherries, about 4 cups
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1 cup water
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1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 pod star anise
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1 cinnamon stick
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1 cup brandy
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Rinse the cherries, then remove the pits using a cherry pitter or alternative objects such as a toothpick, chopstick, or unbent paper clip. Work over a bowl to catch the cherry juice along with the pits, placing the pitted cherries in a separate bowl.
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In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the brown and white sugars and stir until completely dissolved.
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Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the vanilla extract, cardamom, cloves, allspice, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
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Remove the pan from the heat and discard the spices. Stir in the brandy and add the pitted cherries along with any juice. Let cool to room temperature.
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Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cherries to a 1-quart jar or 2 (1-pint) jars.
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Pour the liquid over the cherries, covering them completely while leaving 1/2-inch of headspace in the jar. Secure the lid.
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Place the jar in the refrigerator. If you prefer to use a traditional canning method, process the jar in boiling water for 10 minutes, allow it to cool, then store in a cool, dark place such as a cupboard or pantry. Either way, let the brandied cherries rest for six weeks before using to allow the flavor to develop.
Tips
- Pitting cherries is a messy affair, especially at the height of the cherry season when they're super juicy. Wear an apron or clothing you don't mind getting splashed with cherry juice. Have a damp cloth handy to wipe up the counter and to clean your hands.
- If you want to leave the stem intact, use the tip of a vegetable peeler or paper clip to carefully pit the cherry from the bottom. It's preferable to trim the stem to half its size.
- Strain the cherry juice from the bowl of pits with a fine-mesh strainer held over the pitted cherries.
- Whether stored in the refrigerator or canned using the water bath, the unopened jar of cherries should keep for up to a year (until next cherry season).
- Once opened, keep the jar of brandied cherries chilled in the refrigerator and enjoy them within a week. Use multiple smaller jars if you won't consume a full quart of cherries within that time.
Recipe Variations
- Use 1 cup of white sugar alone or switch to raw sugar.
- Use a flavored brandy that will complement the cherries. Apple brandies, such as calvados or applejack, are a good choice or try a cherry brandy like Germany's kirschwasser.
- Add a 2-inch piece of lemon zest to the spiced syrup.
- Add juniper berries, mace, or nutmeg.
- Use a whole vanilla bean instead of extract, adding it to the syrup then including it in the jar. Maximize the flavor by cutting a slit down one side of the pod.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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82 | Calories |
0g | Fat |
14g | Carbs |
0g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 16 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 82 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 0g | 0% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 3mg | 0% |
Total Carbohydrate 14g | 5% |
Dietary Fiber 0g | 1% |
Total Sugars 14g | |
Protein 0g | |
Vitamin C 1mg | 5% |
Calcium 10mg | 1% |
Iron 0mg | 1% |
Potassium 43mg | 1% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |