Before you read on, start pitting cherries now. Use a cherry pitter like the one shown in the image. It’s a specialty tool I don’t usually recommend, but it’s worth the small cost. One warning: after pitting a bag of cherries, your kitchen will look like a crime scene.
Have you started? Good — now we can continue.
Occasionally I encounter a food that feels completely new. That happened recently when I ordered a familiar cocktail at a local French restaurant. A Kir Royale is typically champagne with a splash of Chambord or a raspberry liqueur, which gives it a deep purple tint. This one arrived with an unexpected garnish.
At the bottom of the glass was a dark, heavy object that had already sunk while bubbles raced past it. At first I wondered what it could be—then my friends and I realized it was a cherry. Not the bright red, rubbery, supermarket jar kind, but a plump cherry that had been gently cooked and soaked in brandy. It was rich, juicy and boozy—a delightful pop at the end of the drink.
The bartender told me they were making their own in-house maraschino cherries.
I hadn’t realized such cherries were so different from the common jarred versions loaded with corn syrup and artificial coloring. These were clearly made from fresh fruit and tasted like real cherries preserved with care.
I had to learn how they were made.
After several batches and some tweaking, I arrived at the recipe below. A note about maraschino liqueur: Luxardo is the classic choice but can be pricey. I used Cristiani, which is more affordable and produced excellent results. The recipe is simple and the cherries are delicious.
Recipe
Maraschino Cherries
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Ingredients
- 3 cups pitted cherries
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 cup maraschino liqueur
Instructions
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Bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
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Add the pitted cherries and the cinnamon stick. Reduce heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until the cherries soften significantly.
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Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the liqueur.
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Let the mixture cool. Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer cherries and their syrup to a clean jar. Refrigerate for up to two weeks; in my experience they rarely last that long.
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These cherries make a wonderful garnish for a Kir Royale, but they’re equally irresistible eaten straight from the jar.
Tried this recipe?
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