- 4 1/2 pounds [2 kg] pitted sweet cherries
- 4 1/2 pounds [2 kg] sugar
- 3 cups [750 mL] water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 ounce [30 mL] red food coloring
- 1 ounce [30 mL] almond extract
Brine
- 8 cups [2 L] water
- 1 tablespoon [15 mL] pickling salt
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- For the brine, bring together water and salt to a boil, stirring until salt is dissolved.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then pour over pitted sweet cherries, into a large bowl.
- Cover and let sit for 12 hours or overnight.
- Drain cherries discarding brine; thoroughly rinse under cold water, drain and set aside into a large bowl.
- Into a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, lemon juice and red food coloring.
- Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar; remove from heat.
- Pour over cherries, cover, and leave to stand for 24 hours.
- Drain cherries also reserving juice; set cherries aside.
- Bring reserved juice once more to a boil.
- Remove from heat, stir in almond extract and pour juice back over cherries.
- Pack hot cherries with juice into hot sterilized jars; cover and seal jars.
- Process in a water bath for approximately 20 minutes for 2-cup [500-mL] jars, 25 minutes for 4-cup [1-L] jars.
- Leave to cool completely, then check seals before storing.
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