How Do You Preserve Sour Cherries In Simple Syrup?
Most cherry varieties, including sour cherries, store well in a simple syrup made with water and sugar. Tart varieties, such as North Star, Morello and Montmorency are excellent choices for storing. Because tart cherries are fairly inexpensive during the growing season, it’s a good idea to buy them at the peak of freshness and store them at home in the freezer. Sour cherries are generally reserved for cooking, however, if stored in syrup, they can be eaten as is. Rinse and drain the cherries and chill them in a bowl in the refrigerator. Select sour cherries with good color that are firm, but not hard. Dispose of any fruit that is overripe or bruised. Remove the stems and the pits. Make a slit in each fruit and dig the pit out with the tip of a sharp paring knife. Use a cherry pitter for larger batches. Place the cherries in a bowl as they are pitted, then rinse and drain them until dry. Prepare a simple syrup. Mix two parts water to one part table sugar in a medium sauce pan. Heat the
