The red wine cherries are soft and aromatic. Can them now and enjoy some of the summer flavors later on this year.
Red wine cherries are another boozy way of preserving cherries. I've already gone over the top this summer! After making Kirsch Cherries and Amaretto Cherries, it was time for some cherries in wine.
The season has almost ended, but our tree was so full of fruit this year; I feel that I have done nothing else but pitting, preserving, and baking with cherries lately. Thank God for that cherry stoner (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); I don't know what I would do without it!
These wine cherries are the last recipe for preserving them this summer. It's an easy, quick recipe; the longest part is pitting them again. And the result? Incredibly aromatic fruit in a light and flavorful liquid, not overly sweet, slightly spicy, and so delicious!
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What do you need?
Cherries: Either sweet or sour cherries. I use sweet because that is what I have, but I would love to make some sour cherries in wine someday. Bing and Picota are some of the better-known varieties, but any sweet ones would be fine.
Sugar: White or light brown sugar; both are fine.
Red wine: Don't go and buy expensive wine; there is really no need for it in this recipe. You will add spices and sugar, and you will cook the wine shortly, so buying an expensive bottle is really not necessary. I got a bottle of off-dry Burgundy for sale in our local shop.
Amaretto: This is added at the end of the cooking process. I chose this liqueur because I still had plenty after making the Amaretto cherries. Kirsch or another brandy would also be fine; I've used them many times.
Spices: Cinnamon, vanilla, and star anise. Star anise has been my spice of choice in combination with cherries this year; I can't believe I've used it so rarely before.
How to make red wine cherries?
- Pit the fruit, place it into clean jars, I had 4 jars of about 500 ml/ 17 fl.oz/ 2 cups capacity. The size of the jars is not important; use what you have.
- I decided to go with this size because I think it makes a good portion size (for 4 people). Fewer leftovers to store in the fridge, I suppose.
- Pour the wine into a pot, and add the sugar and the spices.
- Bring it gently to a boil and let it boil for 3 minutes; the sugar should be completely dissolved.
- Add the Amaretto or brandy. If using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, add it now.
- Carefully pour over the fruit in the jars.
- Seal the jars.
- Can in a water bath or in a canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
How to can the jars?
In water bath:
- Place a folded kitchen towel in a large pot.
- Arrange the jars in the pot, ensuring they don't touch each other.
- Cover with hot water, bring to a boil and boil gently for 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the water using a jar lifter.
- Place on kitchen towels or a cutting board and let cool completely.
Canner: use according to its instructions.
How to store?
- The wine cherries keep well for at least 6 months and up to 1 year.
- Store them in a cool, dark place like a cellar.
- Once you open a jar, keep it refrigerated.
How to use wine cherries?
- I have to admit that we sometimes spoon them out of the jar for a quick dessert, especially if I have them left over from making something else. They are so tasty!
- You can make a cherry sauce by thickening the liquid with cornstarch and stirring in the cherries. Serve them over ice cream, German waffles, pancakes, or rice pudding.
- Use for cakes or cake fillings.
- And the liquid for moistening cake bases.
- Make a boozy trifle.
Red Wine Cherries
Ingredients
- 4 jars of about 500 ml/ 17 fl.oz/ 2 cups capacity
- 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs cherries sweet or sour
- 500 ml/ 17 fl.oz/ 2 cups red wine
- 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ ½ cup granulated sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick Note 1
- 1 star anise
- ½ vanilla stick Note 2
- 5 tablespoons/ ⅓ cup Amaretto Note 3
Instructions
- Pit the cherries, place them into clean jars. Pour the wine in a saucepan, add the sugar and the spices.
- Bring it gently to a boil and let simmer for 3 minutes, the sugar should be completely dissolved. Add the Amaretto or brandy (and vanilla extract, if that is what you are using).
- Carefully, pour over the cherries in the jars. The cherries should be completely covered. The liquid should be enough, if it's not, top with more wine from the bottle (most bottles contain 750 ml/ 25 fl.oz wine anyway).
- Seal the jars. Can in a water bath or in a canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Can in a water bath:
- Place a folded kitchen towel in a large pot. Arrange the jars in the pot making sure that they don't touch each other. Cover with hot water, bring to a boil, and boil gently for 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the water using a jar lifter. Place on kitchen towels or a cutting board and let cool completely.
- Canner: Use according to its instructions.
- Store the jars in a dark cool place. They will keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year. Once you open a jar, keep it refrigerated.
Notes
- If available, you can spice the wine with ½ a small tonka bean instead of all the other spices.
- Or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract added together with the Amaretto.
- Use Kirsch or other brandy instead.
linda says
need some advice I have 2 bing cherrie trees that really produce I washes the cherries with pits in put in mason jars and covered it with sweet red wine the next year I saw mold on some I thought the alcohol would preserve it I just want to eat the cherries and drink the wine what did I do wrong? I did not wan syrup just to drink Pleas advice what do I need to do
Adina says
Hi Linda. Covering the cherries with wine is not enough to preserve them and it would be dangerous if you eat them like that. The wine doesn't have enough alcohol to preserve anything on its own. What you have to do is to find detailed recipes on how to preserve stuff and really follow them, you need to can almost everything in water bath, you need the right amounts of alcohol, sugar (if necessary) and details on how to can the jars and how long to can different preserves. Canning is a science and if you don't do it properly you will just waste the ingredients and endanger yourself. The recipe above also includes canning the jars, it is impossible to keep the cherries for longer without canning them first.