These gorgeous brandied cherries make perfect homemade gifts. They can be used in cocktails, or over pound cake or ice cream.
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Excerpted from Ball® Canning Back to Basics. Copyright © 2017 Hearthmark, LLC. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
- 6 pounds dark sweet cherries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups brandy
Preparation
- 1 Rinse the cherries under cold running water; drain. Stem and pit the cherries.
- 2 Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a large stainless-steel or enameled saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer (180°F). Add the cherries and simmer until they are hot throughout. Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the brandy.
- 3 Pack the hot cherries into a hot jar, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Ladle the hot syrup over the cherries, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place the jar on the rack elevated over simmering water (180°F) in the boiling water canner. Repeat until all the jars are filled.
- 4 Lower the rack into simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the canner, and bring the water to a rolling boil.
- 5 Process the jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove the lid, and let the jars stand 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool.
