Photo by donovanbeeson
We get a lot of questions about how-to do culinary tasks here at Cooking District. To answer these questions, we are launching our Weekend Projects. The Weekend Projects aren't necessarily crazily complicated — but some of them will be — they just take a little more time and care than perhaps you have on a Tuesday night when you are trying to get dinner on the table. Want to learn how to brew your own beer, sous vide at home, make the perfect stock or foie gras torchon? This is your place. Have a project you want us to tackle here? Let us know and we'll get on it. Have a technique that you want to share with the class? Let us know and the forum is yours.
Since we are having such a cherry-centric week here at Cooking District, we thought that we would tackle a simple but oh so awesome way to improve your cocktails (Or ice cream sundaes) — DIY Maraschino cherries.
Commercially available Maraschino cherries are all too often overly sweet with that ever so attractive day-glo hue. The DIY version harkens back to the original version, with their boozy elegance.
What You Will Need:
1 pound sweet cherries, washed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup maraschino liqueur
Cherry pitter
Small saucepan
1-quart container with lid
What To Do:
Stem and pit the cherries.
Make a simple syrup by placing the sugar, water, and vanilla bean in the small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and let cool for about 40 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean.
Add the maraschino liqueur to the syrup and stir well to combine.
Place cherries in your 1-quart container and pour the syrup over the cherries. Cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 5 days before serving.