Maraschino Cherries

Thanks for the hairpin method and, yes, they still make hairpins. I love my 7 at a time cherry pitter but sours are too delicate. I’ve been using my thumb nail but this seem as if it would leave the cherry more intact. If there’s more at the farmers market this weekend, I’ll grab a quart and make a few jars for gifts.

For those who want to can, in his wonderful book 'Saving the Season' (p. 116, 2013) Kevin West has lovely, simple canning directions for making Maraschino Cherries: "Pack closely into a scalded pint jar, cover with Luxardo leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal the jars, and process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes. To reduce venting, allow the jars to rest in the water for 5 minutes before removing."

The OXO multi cherry pitter is a big disappointment but not as much as this recipe being in both cups and ounces and pints. After attempting to pit a whole tree’s worth of cherries, I am not capable of the conversions.

These are the best cocktail cherries! Other recipes add sugar, cinnamon etc but those are just distractions. I’ve kept these in the fridge for a year, no problem. You can use any kind of cherry but tart cherries have the best flavor and texture.

Can I use sweet cherries instead? I've got an abundance of those in my freezer from this summer, but no sour cherries on hand.

I have a six-cherry cherry pitter made by a company called Progressive and it makes pitting cherries go much more quickly than the single cherry pitter.

I use a paper clip, same idea as the hair pin. It doesn't make the extra hole in the cherry so you don't lose as much of the juice.

I would like to honor my mom's memory (1915-1999) by sharing her brilliant cherry pitter invention with the world. You put a hair pin (if they still make them) in a wine cork. This nifty invention removes the pit cleanly and almost effortlessly. I've used mine for many decades. We live near Door County, the land of Montmorency cherries. Dad loved picking cherries and thankfully, Mom was kind enough to pit them and make her family scrumptious desserts.

I pit the cherries by putting one on top of an open, empty wine bottle, stem end down, wrapping my hand over/around it, then poking it with the fat end of a chop stick. The pit goes into the bottle still with a bit of cheery meat on it. after a pound of cherry pits are in the bottle I add sherry, or any other liquor, and let sit to make Cherry Sherry.

I make these every summer for winter Manhattans. I pit with the Oxo pitter, fill quart canning jars with cherries, tap on counter to pack tightly, fill with Maraschino liqueur, tap again to release air bubbles, close with the lid, and store at room temperature. They're ready after a couple of months and last for years. Each time I make a Manhattan, I add a bit of the "juice" along with a cherry.

After a few days, I taste the cherries for balance and often find I want a squeeze of lemon juice, which integrates great in a few days. I’m guessing adding this is also one reason I find these last for years, not just months.

The article that goes with this recipe says that there isn't a shortcut for pitting cherries, but in the intervening decade or so, the landscape has changed. A cherry pitter can be had for under $15 (Oxo makes a good one) and is perfect for this recipe. My whole quart of cherries was pitted in 15 minutes.

Will canned tart cherries in water work.?