Cherry Syrup is perfect in summer, with Italian ices or in chilled water.
Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- A piece of stick cinnamon
- 2 pounds (900 g) flavorful cherries
- Sugar
Preparation:
Crush an inch-long piece of stick cinnamon and set it to soak, covered, in a quarter cup of water (this quantity is indicative; you may want to add more).
The next day stem and pit a goodly quantity of nice, ripe, blemish- free cherries. Set them in a pot on the fire with just a few drops of water and simmer them for 15 to 20 minutes, then squeeze them to extract all the juice (placing them in a muslin bag and twisting the neck of the bag to compress them works well).
Measure the syrup and add to it about twice its volume of sugar, together with the water the cinnamon soaked in; set the mixture to heat, and clarify it with lightly beaten egg whites as described on the syrups page. Continue cooking the syrup until it reaches the proper density, skimming off the froth that rises to the surface, and then transfer it to sterile bottles, seal them, let them cool, and store them in a cool dark place.
The next day stem and pit a goodly quantity of nice, ripe, blemish- free cherries. Set them in a pot on the fire with just a few drops of water and simmer them for 15 to 20 minutes, then squeeze them to extract all the juice (placing them in a muslin bag and twisting the neck of the bag to compress them works well).
Measure the syrup and add to it about twice its volume of sugar, together with the water the cinnamon soaked in; set the mixture to heat, and clarify it with lightly beaten egg whites as described on the syrups page. Continue cooking the syrup until it reaches the proper density, skimming off the froth that rises to the surface, and then transfer it to sterile bottles, seal them, let them cool, and store them in a cool dark place.
