A recipe for homemade whiskeyed cherries, made with fresh or frozen bing (sweet) cherries.
Whiskeyed Cherries
Course: Condiment, DessertCuisine: French, Italian, American2
cups6
hours!50
minutesIngredients
24 oz. frozen bing cherries
Unsweetened cherry juice, or water
3.5 oz. (½ cup) sugar
2 oz. (1/4 cup) cherry whiskey
Directions
- Place the cherries into a colander suspended over a bowl and allow to defrost. This will take as many as 6 hours. Add enough supplemental juice (or water) to the strained juice to equal 1 cup. Pour into a medium saucepan. Add sugar.
- Over a med-high flame (setting 6), bring the juice and sugar and to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the cherries, cover, return to a boil, reduce to medium heat (setting 4), and simmer (still covered) for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Transfer the cherriries with a slotted spoon to a pint jar. If, once all the cherries are in the jar, you see that juice has also made its way in, invert the jar over the slotted spoon to drain the liquid back into the saucepan. Add the whiskey to the jar.
- Boil the syrup over rather high heat (setting 7) until reduced to ⅔ cup (if using water, reduce to ¼ cup). Now and then, lift the pan off the heat and swirl it around to reduce the bubbles (which are absolutely mezmerizing), to prevent it from boiling over. Pour over the cherries. Cover tightly and swirl to mix. If planning to store longe than 3 months, add enough whiskey to reach almost to the top of the jar. Cool, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Good immediately, but allow 24 hours for the flavors to meld, nonetheless.
Notes
- Cherry Substitutions: 1 can (1 lb.) pitted bing cherries in heavy syrup: drain the cherries for 30 minutes, reserve 1/2 cup syrup, add 1/2 cup of water to it, add 1 oz. (2 Tbs) sugar, and proceed with Step 2.
- Whiskey Substitutions: kirsch or Cognac
The whiskey’s beautiful in the background. The cherries and the juice are just sweet enough, just tart enough, and have a pleasant texture.
Great with vanilla ice cream, obviously. Also good as a cake garnish. Great on a grownup sundae! In fact, I used them to deconstruct the idea of a sundae and make a flourless chocolate cherry cake along those lines. Good in a cocktail, too – although they tend to absorb alcohol, so if you put one in something like a Manhattan, it’ll pack quite a punch when you eventually eat it.
Social Learning
If you have a low heat “simmer” burner, it will work well for reducing the cherry juice without worrying about it boiling over. Otherwise, you must watch it constantly and carefully because the bubbles will rise so high, it will amaze you.
For a personalized touch, consider experimenting with different whiskeys or spirits. I’ve already mentioned a few in the “notes” section of the recipe box, but another obvious choice would an unflavored whiskey. Rum or bourbon might be interesting.
The Backstory
I used Traverse City cherry whiskey. They didn’t sponsor this post, but I don’t mind promoting them in my small way. It’s good whiskey, and I do some of my best summer day drinking at their stillhouse.
These cherries would make a great homemade gift. It is a lot of cherries, though. You could if you wish, use them to fill one-cup jars, and use those as gifts. That’d be a lot more manageable.
I spend the summers in cherry country, where pints of fresh Bing cherries are available on every roadside, so I don’t often find myself buying them frozen. However, I did use frozen cherries for this post. I was impressed with both their flavor and texture. And I loved not having to pit them!
Whiskeyed Cherries
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. Thank you, ⌘+C. References: Beranbaum, Rose Levy. “Brandied Burgundy Cherries” in The Cake Bible. (William Morrow, New York, 1988) p. 346. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #13 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.
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My husband would love these in a Manhattan. I would love these with ice cream.
I’ve had them with both, and I think they’re better on ice cream!
You’re absolutely right about not having to pit the cherries, it makes it sooo much easier, although I always do give each one a little squeeze so I’m sure there are not pits left in them. I have half a bag of frozen Bing cherries in the freezer….Unfortunately, I’ll have to source herry whiskey because of you know what.
Yes, I think I do know what, and I can’t apologize enough for the people who want to alienate our longtime friends and neighbors! Anyway, you would do just fine with unflavored whiskey, I’m sure! Especially if you used the cherry juice instead of water.
Great idea for the substitution, thanks
Would be fantastic for so many desserts and cheese board 🙂
Oh, I hadn’t even though about pairing them with cheese! What a great idea!
Mesmerizing bubbles! Jeff, I like the way you write.
Thanks!
These are so much better than store bought… and you’ve made the process of preparing them so straight forward. These are the perfect topping for vanilla ice cream… or a lovely chocolate cake!
Thank you, Heidi!
Perfect addition for desserts or even over cottage cheese or thick yogurt – but I would have even doubled the amount of alcohol and probably added a little cinnamon.
Interesting suggestions! So, you absolutlely could add more whiskey. The amount that I have gives the cherries a clear whiskey finish. I’m pretty sure you could amp that up and make it more of a cherry-whiskey combo. And cinnamon! Why didn’t I think of that?
Not having to pit the cherries is a huge bonus here! You know us and whiskey…so of course we’d be all in here. We have a friend who dehydrates his own orange slices for cocktails. Now we need to add this whiskeyed cherries to the bar!
It sounds like you’re all set! Wish I could come by for cocktail hour!
I am definitely on board for this, Jeff — especially as shown with ice cream! I have never had cherry whiskey but am thinking I could try this first with a combination of plain whiskey and some of my homemade Italian cherry liqueur. And, what a great gift this would be for the holidays (as you noted).
Oh, that sounds like a fantastic combination!
These cherries seem ideal to me to accompany a delicious ice cream or some other dessert.
They are perfect for that!
Whiskey-soaked cherries? Now that’s my kind of dessert and cocktail garnish! Love how versatile these are, vanilla ice cream, cake topping, or even a boozy cherry bomb in a Manhattan. Definitely trying this with bourbon!
Thanks!
Mouthwatering! I can see these used in so many ways. Hope to try them soon. 🙂
Thanks, Ronit!