"Spring, spring is here, life is skittles and life is beer," sang Tom Lehrer many years ago, going on to say his favorite activity was poisoning pigeons in the park. To each his own; I much prefer talking long walks unencumbered by a heavy coat. But there's more to do in spring. Cherries flood the markets and it's time to put them to good use. Eating is one of the best, but it's not the only. You can store them in spirits for the winter:
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- A Relatively Light Recipe
- 1 2/3 pounds (700 g) ripe cherries -- ones that have a slight bitter tang to them will be best
- The zest of a half a lemon
- The weight of the cherries in sugar
- 3 cups (750 ml) dry white vermouth
- A clean 2-quart glass jar that seals hermetically
- **
- A Stronger Recipe
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) ripe cherries -- ones that have a slight bitter tang to them will be best
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
- Grain Alcohol
- A 2-inch (5 cm) piece of stick cinnamon (optional)
- A clean 2-quart glass jar that seals hermetically
Preparation:
In either case, wash the cherries, stem them, and pat them dry.The Milder Version:
Cut the lemon zest into thin strips. Combine all the ingredients in the jar and put it where it is struck by the sun. Shake the jar once a day for a month, then put it in a cool dark place to age for at least six months. They'll be a wonderful addition to a winter meal.
The Stronger Version:
Pack the cherries into the jar, sprinkling them with sugar as you go, and crumble the cinnamon stick in too if you're using it. After filling the jar with cherries and sugar, add grain alcohol to cover, seal the jar, and put it in a cool dark place for 45 days.
A Few Notes:
Some people also add other spices, for example a few cloves. They will be less necessary if you use vermouth, which is already flavored, than if you use grain alcohol, which is not.
Rather than grain alcohol or vermouth, some people use brandy.
I've been asked about safety. The combination of sugar and alcohol should be sufficient to inhibit bacterial growth. If, for some reason, the jar gives off a burst of gas when you open it (this could happen with the vermouth, though it shouldn't), I would perhaps discard it.
Finally, after you open the jar, use a plastic mesh disk of the sort also used in pickle jars to keep the fruit submerged in the liquid.
