These amazing cherries in Kirsch are one of my favorite ways of preserving cherries. They are the perfect topping for lots of desserts.
Ingredients: 7 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 3 small jars | Difficulty: Easy
These cherries in kirsch are a revelation! I rarely drink alcohol, and I cannot even remember ever having a glass of pure brandy, but these brandied cherries are addictive.
A word of caution: if you have too many of them, you will probably get tipsy... Nothing for kids or pregnant women. The non-alcoholic version of this recipe would be the cherries in syrup.
Our old and huge cherry tree is full again, so I am preserving cherries, making cherry butter, and baking cherry loaf cake or other cakes every day.
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Recipe ingredients
Cherries: Heart or Bing cherries, whatever you happen to find.
Kirsch or Kirschwasser is a clear, unsweetened German brandy made from distilled morello cherries and their stones. Milder than other fruit brandies (Obstler), it’s typically served as a digestif or used in cocktails. It's also essential for making Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte).
Spices: 1-2 star anise (they add so much flavor), ½ cinnamon stick, and 2 cloves. Check out the Amaretto Cherries, too.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cherries in Kirsch?
Wash and stone the cherries. I use a cherry pitter (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); I would be lost without it.
Step #1: Place the cherries in a large pot. Mix them with sugar and spices.
Step #2: Turn on the heat, turn it on low, and let the sugar dissolve slowly.
Step #3: Once the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid starts to bubble, set the timer to 5 minutes.
Step #4: Simmer the cherries, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for 4–5 minutes. Remove foam.
Step #5: Add the Kirsch and lemon juice to taste.
Step #6: Ladle the cherries into sterilized jars, leaving about 1 inch/ 2 cm of headspace. Cover them with the liquid and seal the jars.
If you taste the cherries before adding the lemon, then add the lemon and taste again, you will notice the difference. The flavors just seem to come alive!
Good to know!
Use a large enough pot, as the sugar will create a lot of foam when boiling, and a small pot may overflow.
After letting the cherries cool for 4–5 minutes, skim off as much foam as possible - most of it will have subsided by then.
These brandied cherries are quite boozy - don’t drive after eating several, and avoid serving them to children or pregnant women.
Storage
Store the cherries in Kirsch in a cool, dark place like a cellar, or refrigerate if preferred.
Let them rest for 3–4 weeks before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
They'll keep for at least 6 months - likely longer - thanks to the preserving power of sugar and alcohol.
How to serve?
My favorite way: on top of ice cream. They are also amazing on top of German waffles or pancakes. Try them on semolina or rice pudding.
Add to cake fillings or use them to decorate a cake. Use the liquid to soak cake bases before filling.
Try to avoid the temptation of spooning a whole jar as it is; you will get drunk...
Cherries in Kirsch
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs cherries
- 2⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large star anise or 2 smaller ones
- ½ stick cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 1 cup Kirsch brandy Note 1
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice or more to taste
Instructions
- Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter (Note 1), making sure they stay whole with just a hole through the center. Place them in a large pot - choose one with plenty of space, as the mixture will foam up significantly when cooking with sugar. This prevents it from boiling over.2.2 lbs cherries
- Dissolve sugar: Add the sugar and stir carefully to mix. Add the star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Turn on the heat and heat gently, stirring often but carefully, until the sugar dissolves completely.2⅓ cups granulated sugar + 1 large star anise + ½ stick cinnamon + 2 cloves
- Simmer cherries: Once the liquid starts to boil, set the timer to 5 minutes. Simmer, stirring every minute or so. Remove the pot from the heat and let the cherries cool for another 4-5 minutes. Remove as much of the foam as possible; there will be a lot of it when the sugar starts to boil, but it will be pretty much gone at the end.
- Add the Kirsch and some lemon juice to taste. Stir well. Discard the spices.
- Jar the cherries: Place the cherries into sterilized jars. Cover completely with the liquid. Clean the rim of the jars with kitchen paper and seal. Let cool completely.
- Store Kirsch cherries: Keep in the refrigerator or in a dark, cool place. Let them develop the flavors for about 3-4 weeks before serving.
Notes
- Kirsch gives the cherries a special flavor, but you can also use vodka.
- Use a cherry pitter to pit the cherries; it works best and leaves the cherries whole with just a hole in the middle (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
Harry says
Hi Adina,
This article and your article about "german black forest cake" piqued my interest. I'm very impressed by them!
But I do have some questions:
1. How would using morello cherries (very dark), instead of sweet cherries, make a difference?
2. One of the ways you've suggested serving this recipe is to "[a]dd to cake fillings". How exactly do I go about incorporating this recipe into the making of the cherry filling of a german black forest cake?
---- (Please bear in mind that, where I live, shops don't sell jarred morello cherries, but they do sell fresh morello cherries.) ----
I've come across your website, because I miss the boozy black forest cakes my family used to buy from the cake shops in nice hotels. Where I live now, unfortunately, shops make black forest cake with candied glace cherries. YUCK!!!! 😛
Cheers,
Harry
Adina says
Hi Harry. I agree about the glace cherries, disgusting and they have no place in a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Use fresh morello cherries just as I described, and cook them with cherry juice from a bottle. The filling might be a bit tarter (canned cherries are lightly sweetened), if you like tart leave it as it is; otherwise, add some sugar to taste. To use these Kirsch cherries, drain them but keep the liquid. Use a few tablespoons of the liquid to soak the cakes. Measure the remaining liquid, add enough water to have the amount needed in the recipe and thicken the liquid as described in the recipe, adding the cherries at the very end. However, I never made Black Forest Cake using these cherries, so I can't guarantee it works, but this is how I would go about it. It would make quite a boozy cake, I imagine. Happy Baking!
Taylor says
Candied cherries are yuck! You’re right! I’m very interested in the answers to your questions😄
Donald T Coker says
Do these need to be water bathed?
Adina says
No. The alcohol preserved.
Lynda says
Hi there! I just picked 45 lbs of tart cherries. Do you think they would work in place of sweet cherries?
Adina says
I think they'd be great as well.
Leslie McDowell says
Just harvest pounds of cherries off my trees and this is how I'm planning to preserve them!!! Given the above directions, can I then traditionally can them, using a hot bath?
Adina says
Alcohol und sugar preserve the cherries without the need of canning. Alcohol is a preserving agent, since at 40% alcohol per volume, no bacteria can survive in it.
Nancy Wallace Dillard says
Do the cherries have to sit 3-4 weeks or can you use them the day after? I wanted to make a black forest cake for my birthday tomorrow.
Adina says
Hi Nancy, they need some time to absorb the alcohol and the flavor, tomorrow would be too soon. I always make Black Forest Cake with canned cherries in light syrup and add some Kirsch to them.
Andrea says
Just set three jars aside to cool, planning on making a black forest cake for Thanksgiving. There were a few delicious spoonfuls left in the bottom of the pan. This time of year I could only find canned tart cherries in water, so I used the full three cups of sugar. I cannot wait to see how they taste in three weeks. Thanks for the recipe
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Andrea.