Sour Cherry Amaretto Preserves! A summer classic fine tuned by my dear friend, Judy. Full disclosure – Judy makes the best preserves, jams and jellies I have ever tasted. With this superb recipe from Judy and a sour cherry tree located right in my friend Dan’s backyard, I’m busy picking and cooking. Unique sour cherries combined with amaretto liqueur will make you swoon. It is that good!! Family and friends have told me it is ‘heaven in a jar’ and ‘happiness in a spoon’.
Sour cherries can be hard to find because they are not for snacking and rarely sold in the grocery store. Also their season is quite short. Head for your farmer’s market or nearby u-pick to find these gems. They are worth every ounce of trouble to find them. If you have the opportunity to pick your own, you will admire the cherries hanging like lanterns from the tree. Truly spectacular!
I find a cherry pitter to be the right kitchen tool to make this recipe easily. You can pit pounds of cherries in no time at all. The amaretto marinade is what makes Judy’s recipe so scrumptious. The taste of the sweet Italian liqueur with the sour of the cherry is both tart and sweet. What a fantastic combo for homemade fruit preserves. The preserves make great gifts and can be enjoyed all year long by canning. Well worth it. Make a batch of Sour Cherry Amaretto Preserves and I guarantee it will become your yearly ritual as well.
Sour Cherry Amaretto Preserves
Ingredients
- 4 cups sour cherries pitted, finely chopped, approximately 3 pounds
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 package pectin I use dry powdered pectin
- 1/2 teaspoon butter
- 1/4 cup amaretto I use Disaronno
- 4 3/4 cups sugar
Instructions
- Pit approximately 3 pounds of sour cherries to end up with 4 cups of cherries. I use a cherry pitter to remove my pits.
- Finely chop the cherries and place in bowl
- Add lemon juice and amaretto and marinate for 15 minutes.
- Pour mixture into sauce pan. Add pectin and butter and bring mixture to full rolling boil. Stir constantly.
- Add sugar to sour cherry mixture. Return to full rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Ladle right away into sterilized jars.
- If canning, fill jars to within 1/4 inch of top of jar. Wipe jar rims, screw on lid and place in canner filled with boiling water. Water should cover jars by 1-2 inches. Process jar for 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Remove jars.
- Place jars on cutting board or cooling rack. Let jars cool for 24 hours before moving so preserves will settle.
