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Making candied cherries is a great way to preserve the abundance of summer cherries! They are super easy to make and great as a topping on ice cream, cakes, pies and even pancakes and waffles!
When cherries are on sale for $1.99 a pound, it's time to buy ALL the cherries. But when you buy all the cherries, you have to use them all too.
Enter these super awesome red candied cherries. I mean, these babies are good on everything....ice cream, cakes, pies, BROWNIES, pancakes, waffles....all the stuff!
And as if the glace cherries aren't amazing enough on their own, the cherry sauce that results as part of the candying process is SO GOOD. Use it to flavor drinks, pour a bit on these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes or these Cornmeal Pancakes, drizzle it on ice cream, or use a bit on these Rolo Brownies.
You won't even believe how easy this glazed cherry recipe is. You guys are going to be candying cherries for DAYS this is so easy!
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Why This Recipes Works
- They are ultra easy to make - besides pitting the cherries, the rest of the work is basically hands off!
- You know exactly what you put in these homemade candied cherries - no chemicals, artificial flavor, preservatives or high fructose corn syrup.
- They can be used as a topping for vanilla ice cream, in cakes and pies, fruit cake, in cocktails, or in breads (or just eat them with a spoon). There are so many different uses!
- They last in the fridge for up to a year so you don't have to worry about using them right away (you'll want to though).
- There is no need to use a candy thermometer or any special equipment for this
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Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the full recipe card at the bottom of the post.
The ingredients are pretty darn simple...fresh cherries, sugar, a touch of fresh lemon, and almond extract.
You can use any kind of red cherries for this recipe, even frozen! You will need to pit them, so you can either invest in a cherry pitter (highly recommended), to use the end of a chopstick or bamboo skewer to remove the pit.
Note you can also use a jar of maraschino cherries if you are looking to make glace cherries for baked goods. Just drain the juice out before using them.
You can also make green cherries using this same recipe. Green cherries are basically unrip cherries and have a tangier more lime-like flavor than traditional red cherries. Candied green cherries are often used when making a classic fruitcake.
I love the slight sweet nuttiness of the almond extract, but you can substitute with vanilla extract as well.
For a deeper more caramel flavor, you can substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar.
What is a Candied Cherry?
A candied cherry is a cherry simmered in sugar water/syrup until all the natural moisture in the cherry is replaced by the syrup. This results in a very sweet "candied" cherry.
Are Maraschino Cherries and Candied Cherries the Same Thing?
Yes and no. Maraschino cherries are a type of cherry from the Croatia region that are typically preserved in a liqueur made from the cherries. Candied cherries are cherries that have been simmered in syrup until all the natural moisture has been replaced by syrup.
Maraschino cherries can be candied like any other cherry, and are called glace cherries when candied.
Step By Step Instructions
This recipe calls for just 2 cups of fresh pitted cherries, which results in about 1 ¼ cups of candied cherries. This recipe can be easily doubled, tripled quadrupled...whatever your heart desires.
You want to start with pitted cherries. Forgot how? Check out this post on How to Pit Cherries from The Kitchn. Don't worry, you don't need a cherry pitter, but it can be really handy!
Place your pitted cherries in a large saucepan with the sugar, water, almond extract and lemon juice. Then bring it to a boil on medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. A simmer is typically on low to medium low heat.
Simmer on low/medium-low heat for about 75 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Honestly, I usually set my timer to 15 minute increments just to remind me to stir.
It's more important to stir near the end when much of the liquid has absorbed. This is when burning is most possible.
Remove the cherries from the heat and let cool. Try to stop eating them. If you can stop, they should be stored in a sealable jar in the fridge for up to one year.
Expert Tips:
- Be sure to stir the cherries every 15 minutes while simmering to ensure they are not burning.
- Store the cherries and the syrup separately if you'd like to use them for different purposes. Use a strainer to separate them.
- Make them boozy by stirring in ½-1 cup of bourbon (depending on how boozy you want to get) when the cherries are done cooking.
- You can also use maraschino cherries (red or green) if you are looking to make glace cherries for baked goods. Just drain the juice out before using them.
How To Use Candied Cherries
- They can be used on ice cream which is one of my favorite uses! You can even just use the thick syrup as a cherry syrup topping!
- Try it on these lemon ricotta pancakes, or any regular pancakes, French toast or waffles for breakfast.
- Cherry and chocolate go together so perfectly - try serving these with these chocolaty desserts:
- Bake them into brownies (cherry brownies are FIRE) or pies, or even sweet bread (like this chocolate bread - just replace the orange with cherry).
- To use candied cherries when baking cakes or breads, rinse them, dry them then dust them in flour when using them in cakes or other baked goods so they more easily stay suspended in the batter.
- They are perfect for Christmas cakes and breads, as well as other holidays!
The syrup can also be used in place of other syrups, in drinks, or as a dessert topping.
Storage Instructions
Some say candied cherries can be stored on the shelf at room temperature, but I store them in the fridge to be safe. They will keep in the fridge for up to 12 months.
I don't recommend freezing candied cherries. They last long enough in the fridge that you shouldn't need to freeze them. Freezing them can cause the sugar to crystallize and the texture to change.
More Candied Fruit Recipes and Treats!
- Chocolate covered Candied Orange Peels;
- Candied Pecans
- Candied Ginger
- Candied Lemon Slices
- Candied orange slices
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Recipe
Candied Cherries
Ingredients
- 2 cups pitted cherries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract substitute vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter or the end of a chopstick (hold the cherry in your hand and push the chopstick through the center to push the pit out, being careful not to puncture your hand).
- Combine all the ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pan and bring to a boil while stirring periodically. Turn down the heat and simmer for 75 minutes, stirring periodically to make sure they don't burn.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for 75 minutes, stirring periodically to make sure they don't burn.
- Remove from heat and let cool. Store the cherries and the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one year.
Expert Tips:
- Be sure to stir the cherries every 15 minutes while simmering to ensure they are not burning.
- Store the cherries and the syrup separately if you'd like to use them for different purposes. Use a strainer to separate them.
- Make them boozy by stirring in ½-1 cup of bourbon (depending on how boozy you want to get) when the cherries are done cooking.
- You can also use maraschino cherries (red or green) if you are looking to make glace cherries for baked goods. Just drain the juice out before using them.
Nutrition
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