Why deal with the artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Make your own homemade Maraschino Cherries that taste great.
Homemade Maraschino Cherries
Homemade Maraschino CherriesI think I may be a 5 year old at heart still. I have a love affair with maraschino cherries. I want five of them in my cherry limeade at Sonic and I would add them on more of my desserts, but some people have a serious aversion to them. So, I decided to make my own homemade maraschino cherries just to see if I could. They are a great treat when you want to avoid the artificial colors and flavors in jarred cherries. These little cherries are flavored with orange peels and pomegranate juice. It adds all kids of great color without anything fake.
So, this tart seriously took me a few days to create! The cherries take a few days to sit, but I let mine sit for twenty days in the fridge! I was so thrilled that the cherries lasted so long. I seriously thought that they were going to be a total loss, but I guess the heat and the seal were such that they lasted very well in the fridge. I don’t know how long these will last, but I used mine a month after canning them.
While I was researching homemade Maraschino Cherries on the internet, I found a lot of variations. Mainly dealing with alcohol content and flavoring of the cherries. I’ve always liked Stephanie’s Blog and since she has an alcohol free version I decided to give that a try.
I liked the flavor of the orange peel and pomegranate juice. Not quite a “cherry flavor” but a nice flavor all the same. I didn’t have the star anise that her recipe called for, so I just omitted it because I didn’t have time to run to the store.
While I was removing the pits, I removed some of the stems and left some on just to get the full maraschino effect. Do yourself and get a cherry pitter to remove all the pits. I’ve tried using straws and piping tips, but you really can’t beat the correct tool to get the job done.
This recipe is part one of a three part series for a Cherry Lime Tart with a Lime Tart Crust.
Homemade Maraschino Cherries
Homemade Maraschino Cherries are easier to make than you may think! Add them to your tarts, cakes, pies, cupcakes, and ice cream.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 fluid ounces lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 1 large orange peel, just the peel
- 1 pound cherries, pitted
Instructions
- Place all ingredients, except the cherries, into a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat until a you reach a low simmer. Stir a few times until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add the cherries and continue to simmer for ten minutes. Give the sauce a taste-test to see if it has taken on a cherry flavor.
- Pour out cherries and juice into a large bowl and cool to room temperature. To speed up the process, place the bowl in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Transfer into one quart jars or an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least three days to a week before eating.
Notes
A Cherry Pitter will speed things along. I preferred removing the pits from the sides instead of from the bottom.
Recipe from Cupcake Project
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So happy that the cherry’s held up for you!!! Cause I had a sneak preview and they were really good!!!!
Me too! I was kinda worried about them.
Karyn, these look amazing, and I don;t even like maraschino cherries
These don’t taste or look like canned Maraschino. They are Bing Cherries in pomegranate and orange so they have a citrus essence to them. You may like these much better.
I don’t like canned Maraschinos, but yours look way better! Want to make soon, the sooner the better 🙂
They were very easy to make. No special instructions, just yummy cherries as the end result.
Love that you made and enjoyed them! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
You’re welcome. And they are still going strong in the fridge for a MONTH! I’m the only one in my house who will eat cherries… go figure!
How neat to make these at home!
Can these be canned and stored longer or just for fridge?
I think mine lasted almost a month. If you don’t break the seal they should last a good long time, but once the can is opened I’d use them up quickly. There are no preservatives to keep for a long time.
Ok i am new to canning, once they are fine cooking can i pour them into a jar and put the lid on and just let them cool and seal that way?
Sure! I didn’t “can” them, but the seal did suction down, so I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
Oh my these look so good! I have never even though of making your own….I will have to make these for my son (and myself of course). We both love cherries (found you on Create Link Inspire)
It’s a labor of love, but so worth it in the end. However, as I stated, they don’t taste like traditional Maraschino Cherries and to me, that was good thing!
I bet they taste even better! (and much better for you I’m sure)
I love the idea of making maraschino cherries at home! I love that you used an alcohol-free version, because I love maraschino cherries but we don’t keep alcohol in the house.
I love the idea!
Thanks! I’m glad that you find this recipe helpful. I wanted my daughter to be able to enjoy the cherries as well, so I thought it was a good option!
These look amazing! When I was a little girl I used to sneak Maraschino Cherries after everyone went to bed. 🙂 Thanks for linking to Tips & Tricks. I can’t wait to see what you link up next week. I pinned this to our Tips & Tricks recipe board on Pinterest.
These look great! My husband loves maraschino cherries, but I could go without. This recipe looks like something we both could enjoy. Could you use tart cherries in this recipe or does it require sweet cherries?
Honestly, I’m not sure. I prefer sweet cherries, so that’s what I used. I’d say, give it a try and let me know.