Quick Candied Cherry Recipe
The arrival of cherries means the dreariness of winter is definitely over, and I can finally look forward to a long, delicious summer of fresh apricots, raspberries, nectarines, peaches, and plums. Once cherries became reasonable at the market this is a great way to use and preserve them when the price drops and when the season is in full swing, or nearing the end, I find myself using fresh cherries as fast as I can pit ’em.
Although you might think it’s funny to candy fresh something fresh, there are times perhaps your cherries aren’t super-flavorful (like too early or too late in the season) and candying augments and intensifies flavor. And as a bonus, you’ll end up with a lovely brilliant-red syrup which you can mix with Champagne for a fizzy and festive kir Royale. Once candied, these cherries will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator. Spoon them over vanilla ice cream, stir them into yogurt, and toss them with nectarines or peaches for a summer cobbler.
Quick Candied Cherries
- 1 pound (550g) fresh sweet or sour cherries, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) water
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Remove the stems and pit the cherries (I use a handheld cherry pitter.)
- In a large non-reactive saucepan (at least 4 quarts/liters) bring the cherries, water, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil.
- Reduce the heat so the cherries are cooking at a low rolling boil. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently during the last 10 minutes of cooking to make sure the cherries are cooking evenly and not sticking.
- Once the syrup is mostly reduced and a brilliant ruby-color, similar to the consistency of maple syrup, remove the pan from the heat and cool the cherries to room temperature.
Notes
Recommended Cherry Pitters
OXO Good Grips Cherry Pitter: Like all Oxo products, this one gets high marks from users.
Leifheit Cherry Pitter: All-metal cherry pitter, popular in Europe.
Leifheit Pro-Line Cherry Pitter: (I love that name!) This is a terrific tool if you have a lot of cherries to pit. Keeps the cherries in a container, so it’s less-messy to use than others.
Related Recipes
White Chocolate and Cherry Scones
Caramelized White Chocolate Ice Cream