When the long-awaited fruits of the cherry trees in our garden finally begin to ripen, the yield seems to never end. Especially when the tree is fully mature, i.e. about 15 years old, and proper care has been taken care of up to that point, the cherry tree can reward your patience and effort with up to 400 kg of fruit in one season! For a small household, this can be an overwhelming amount. Fruit simply goes bad before it can be eaten fresh. In today’s article, we would like to show you how you can use up a lot of cherries and easily make your own cherry liqueur at home. The recipe is surprisingly simple and the end result tastes even better than what you get in the store.
Making your own cherry liqueur is much easier than you might imagine
Refreshing summer cocktails with cherry liqueur, lemonade and fresh mint
Cherry season has officially started!
When cherry harvest time comes, many gardeners who have one or even more fruit trees are often overloaded with fruit. They give away surplus cherries to their friends, relatives and neighbors. You add them to compotes, jams, ice cream, sorbets, pies, tarts, fruit salads, smoothies, punch bowls and much more. There are so many delicious recipes you can make with cherries and each tastes absolutely unique! But have you ever thought about making your own cherry liqueur?
For the recipe that we present to you below, you only need a handful of ingredients that you can find in absolutely every supermarket. The cherries should ideally come from your own garden, but you can theoretically also buy them. However, they should be organic and in any case untreated, otherwise the end product can have an aftertaste or not ferment properly at all.
This liqueur is super easy to prepare and will only require a little patience and restraint from you. The longer the fruit ferments, the better the aroma and taste of the liqueur will be at the end. According to liqueur specialists, this cherry liqueur tastes best after 2, ideally 3 years of airtight fermentation.
The preparation takes only a few minutes
After that, however, you have to arm yourself with patience
Make your own cherry liqueur, ideas for children and young people too
Unfortunately, there is no alcohol-free or kid-friendly recipe for cherry liquor. This drink and all other recipes containing it can therefore only be enjoyed by adults aged 18 and over.
Teens and children under this age can drink compote or fresh cherry juice instead if they don’t want to feel left out at a party. If you want to more closely mimic the taste of real cherry liqueur, you can briefly boil up some compote with the same spices and herbs listed in the recipe below and serve hot or cold, similar to punch. If desired, a shot of children’s sparkling wine can also be added. So the little ones can celebrate with the big ones.
Children and teenagers can enjoy their own non-alcoholic version of the liqueur
Make your own cherry liqueur – you will need these ingredients
- 1 kg of cherries
- 1 liter vodka or fine grain 40% vol.
- 350 g brown sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- Zest of 2 untreated organic lemons or oranges
Step by step instructions:
First wash and dry the cherries. Remove stems and seeds. Inspect fruit for pests and any defects and discard infested ones. If you want your cherry liqueur to have a pleasant bitter almond note similar to that of maraschino, save about half the cherry pits.
With a cherry stoner, the whole thing is much faster and cleaner
Place the kernels in a ziplock bag and smash with a hammer. Place in an airtight and sterile jar or bottle along with the cherries and spices. Pour the vodka or Korn on top, then seal airtight. Leave in a dark place at room temperature for 7-8 weeks. Shake daily for the first week.
Brown sugar tastes like molasses and caramel and is superior to white sugar here
After 7-8 weeks, open the bottle or jar and filter the mix through a clean kitchen towel. In theory, the cherry liqueur is ready at this point. Pour into sterile bottles and seal airtight. However, if you want to enhance the flavor and aroma even further, store the bottles in a dark place for at least a few months, ideally 2 years.
Filter well, otherwise there may be pieces in the liqueur later
Your patience will be amply rewarded
Make delicious desserts and refreshing cocktails with cherry liqueur yourself
This cherry liqueur is most often and preferably enjoyed simply with 2-3 ice cubes. It has a pleasantly refreshing taste and aroma with tart and bitter almond notes, especially if some of the cherry pits have been used. But it also has an amazing potential that you can take full advantage of.
This homemade liqueur pairs beautifully with soda water or cola, and can also be added to sangria, punch and bowls. It can be used in almost any cocktail that calls for Maraschino Liqueur or Maraschino Cherries. However, it does not have to be just the role of a substitute or a small addition. Here’s a great cocktail where your homemade cherry liqueur plays a key role.
Cherry liqueur is pretty sweet and is usually drunk diluted
Cherry Blossom Cocktail
- 60ml dry gin
- 30 ml cherry liqueur
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp rose water
Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake. Fill the cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry and edible blossoms, preferably cherry blossoms. Yes, cherry blossoms are fully edible and are used in many Japanese desserts and drinks.
Aromatic cocktail perfect for Mother’s Day or an Easter party
Make your own cherry liqueur – you can do it too! It tastes heavenly and is a wonderful idea for when your cherry tree is bearing extra fruit this season. Will you try our tips and recipe ideas in your own everyday life? We hope they will be helpful to you!
Conjure up a delicious Black Forest cake with cherry liqueur
Sources:
Delicious
my beautiful garden
Make your own liqueurs
