Last summer I spotted Melissa Clark’s ultra-simple and delicious-sounding recipe for homemade maraschino cherries in the food section of The New York Times, and was intrigued. I made a mental note of it - and promptly forgot.
Then, the other night, while out for cocktails, a friend mentioned she’d made her own maraschinos. But the conversation soon bobbed and wove in a different direction (we were at PDT, and there were taxidermied animals everywhere!). The cherries got left behind. The next day, I emailed for the recipe. It turned out to be Melissa Clark’s: “It is super easy,” my friend wrote back. “And they get better with age - if they last more than a couple of months. Sour cherries are only in season for another couple weeks, so get on it!”
Yikes.
I hurried over to my neighborhood market and, to my great relief, they still had some sours from a local New York State grower, Red Jacket Orchards. The recipe called for one pint, but I snapped up two. I’d initiate myself into the sweet world of homemade maraschino cherries with a double batch.
The beauty of Melissa Clark’s recipe, to my mind, lies in its simplicity. Besides sour cherries (a local approximation of the marasca ones from Croatia in the classic recipe), the only other ingredient called for is maraschino liqueur, a clear, dryish spirit made from whole marasca cherries - including their crushed, almondy-flavored pits. I already had a bottle on hand from making Aviation cocktails. I could get started right away.
But the cherries needed pitting first. I used an OXO Good Grips cherry/olive pitter for the job - a recent purchase - and was impressed by the way my new toy handled. I worked out a system where I’d pick up, de-stem, and insert the fruit into the chamber with one hand, while the other held the tool in place. Done.
Now for the alcohol. Since I was making a double batch, I measured out two cups of maraschino liqueur into a saucepan and set it to warm on the stove. Once it began to simmer, I turned off the heat and added the pitted cherries. I gave them a quick stir and let them cool before decanting them into a mason jar and sliding them into the fridge.
Then the waiting began. Two days’ minimum maceration before they’d be ready - and, after that, a promise that they'd just keep on getting better. I tasted one on the first day (just as a point of reference, mind you) and no, the flavors had not yet mingled. Second day, the liquid had taken on some of the cherries’ pinkness. Things were starting to look good. Third day: juicy, flavorful, booze-soaked cherries!
I’m definitely making Manhattans this weekend. (And I hear maraschinos are good on ice cream too....)
Related: DIY Cocktail Onions
(Images: Nora Maynard)
-Nora
I want to try this but sour cherries appear to be one type that San Francisco farmers' markets don't have. Grr.
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
Any kind of cherries in a syrup and alcohol, brandied cherries, will be delicious on ice cream or anywhere.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
Tiamat, I'm with Kate (NC) on the cherries: The sours are quite special, but I'm sure you could sub in another type, and they'd be just as delicious!
view nora's profile
I'm so jealous of all you people who have access to sour cherries. Here in Tucson we don't have any sour cherries anywhere (I haven't even found them frozen!) and so any dream of a delicious tart cherry pie or tasty homemade maraschino cherries is just that - a dream. *Long, pitiful sigh*
view laetitiae's profile
We have on grower in Southern California who knows how special the crop is... can you believe $9/pound and people fight for them!
I prefer to brandy sour cherries ala Chez Panisse. They aren't as sweet as maraschinos and the cherry-flavored brandy makes a lovely after dinner cordial.
view JudiAU's profile
I'm so miffed....not only do I not have access to sour cherries here, but no maraschino liquor either. Though brandied cherries sound delightful...
view Michelle of Montreal's profile
This is the second year I have made these. I don't use sour cherries - I use Queen Annes. I live in Michigan and one thing we can get a lot of is cherries. I also use Herring which is a darker liquor and cheaper so I can't say they are authentic. Even with these changs, they are a big hit and we have started drinking Manhattans. The first year I made I only did one quart. This year I made 3 quarts for me and 3 for a friend.
view Jeanne's profile
I've got 2 quarts with brandy, and one quart with Makers Mark in the fridge. Should be ready in a couple months.
view thotfulpot's profile
Awesome idea. I'm totally doing making these this weekend. This is the perfect summer hostess gift.
view AmyE's profile
Does anyone know of a farmers market in the Boston area that has sour cherries? I know they grow around here as I have an acquaintance with a tree. He's an acquaintance rather than a friend because he doesn't share his sour cherries!
view Charlotte's profile
I'm also testing the Maker's Mark version with sweet cherries. They've been soaking in the fridge for about 3 weeks now. I haven't done a taste test lately, but when I tried one about 3 days into it, they weren't great. I'm hoping that the flavor has developed over time.
view zelda139's profile