Boozy Bing Cherries

    Organic Bing cherries are my choice for this recipe because they are the most readily available at our local markets, but you can use other sweet cherries with equally great results. Use them when they are firm and perfectly-ripe. No need to stem or pit these...just wash them well.

Serve as a garnish in cocktails, on a cheese platter, or plop one on top your grown-up ice cream sundae.

Makes ~1 quart or 2 pints 

• 1 pound sweet cherries such as Bings, rinsed & drained*
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1/2 cup water
• ~1/2 cup Brandy
• 1 vanilla bean

1.) Prick each cherry all over with a sterilized needle then pack them firmly into a clean quart jar or 2 pint jars. 

2.) Combine sugar and water in a large non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.

3.) Remove from heat and pour syrup slowly over cherries. The jar should be half-full with syrup.

4.) Fill to the top of the jar(s) with brandy and add a whole vanilla bean vertically into the jar, if desired. (Cut vanilla bean in half if using pint-size jars.)

5.) Place a lid on the jar(s) and seal tightly, then place in the refrigerator for at least a week of up to 6 months. Check occasionally to be sure the fruit is covered entirely with brandy/syrup mixture. 

Note: When the cherries are gone, don't forget to use that delicious leftover syrup for something. Be creative! My mom would have probably suggested one heaping spoonful for a cough, a cold, or whatever ails you.

*You can leave the pits in and the stems on the cherries. 

Step-by-step photos for making Boozy Bing Cherries

Sweet~Tart Cranberry Syrup

   Cranberry syrup can be made a few different ways. This recipe has corn syrup* in it, which some people are opposed to. I don't find it too objectionable, since the actual amount of corn syrup consumed per serving is quite low. After all, this syrup is so concentrated you will be using ~ one tablespoon per beverage, which means there are about 30 servings per batch. 

     The other recipe I have on my website is called Cranberry Simple Syrup, because it is the cranberry version of "Simple Syrup", which is a staple of every cocktail bar and a wonderful way to sweeten ice tea too. I think it should more accurately be called (Simple) Cranberry Simple Syrup, because it is easy to make, but the redundancy is a bit much.

    Use this syrup in cocktails and mocktails...a little bit goes a long way. Because this Sweet~Tart Cranberry Syrup is thicker and more intense than (Simple) Cranberry Simple Syrup, you can also pour it over pancakes, waffles and plain cheesecake. It's festive bright red color will make your holidays a little sweeter, and might even be perfect for your favorite Valentine's Day tart ;)

Makes about 2 cups of syrup

• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 cup water
  
• 1 cup cranberries
• 3/4 cup light-colored corn syrup
• 1/4 cup sugar

1.) Rinse cranberries and pick through them, discarding any that look old. If you buy them quite fresh, there should be very few bad ones.

2.) In a medium saucepan combine cranberry juice, cranberries, corn syrup, and sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until reduced by about half.

3.) Pour syrup through a fine-mesh strainer. You can line it with damp cheesecloth if you want it crystal clear, otherwise you might have a few tiny cranberry seeds in the syrup.

4.) Discard cranberry solids into your compost bin, or set aside to use in some other way. They will still be quite pretty and jewel-like, but are also quite tart!

5.) Seal tightly and store syrup in the refrigerator for up to one month.

* Why use corn syrup? Because corn syrup is an invert sugar, which means that it prevents sugar crystals from forming. Microscopically, sugar has jagged edges and when you melt it, sugar liquefies. But if you keep cooking it to a syrup, those jagged edged-fellas want to re-attach themselves to others. Corn syrup acts as interfering agent, which ‘interfere’ with that process. Honey, agave, and the like, don’t have the same properties. (Thanks to David Lebovitz for his easy-to-understand definition.)

 Cranberry Blog