By Jordan Champagne, Happy Girl Kitchen Co
This is my favorite way to preserve cherries, and it is also the simplest. When you preserve the cherries whole, leaving in the pits, the texture and flavor are far superior than if you were to remove the pits. I like to think of them as the olive of the dessert table. Pitted cherries have their own obvious convenience and flexibility of use, but leaving the pits in also means you do not have to de-pit 20 pounds of cherries in one day. Then, if you want to use your preserves later for pies or smoothies, the pits will be easy to remove. What a fabulous saving of labor!
I use a very light honey syrup when preserving cherries. I love for the subtle flavors of the cherries to come through, and it is a real treat to drink the liquid once the cherries are consumed. I do not give specific amounts in this recipe; it can be made in any quantity.
Fresh and ripe Bing cherries (pitted or whole)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Honey Syrup per half-pint jar
Honey Syrup recipe ratio:
1 part honey
10 parts water
Pack jars with cherries with a nice firm touch. You want to fit as many cherries in each jar as possible, without crushing them. While you are doing this, heat the honey syrup in a nonreactive pot. Heat to 210° F and be sure not to boil, as we are trying to retain some of the beneficial enzymes present in the honey.
Cover packed cherries with the hot syrup and cap. Process in a hot water bath canner at 210°, 12 minutes for pint jars and 8 minutes for half pints.
Let cool, seal and store in a dark, cool spot. Preserves will keep for one year.
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