Maraschino Cherries

In my area last summer cherries went on a sale in a phenomenal way (under 2.00 a lb.), so I bought a couple pounds for eating and another pound for trying my hand at making Maraschino Cherries. I found a recipe simple enough and I had everything to make to make them. These cherries turned out super delicious full of flavor and makes me wish my cherry tree was older/bigger and produced enough cherries for me to make these more than once a summer.

Ingredients 1 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup pom juice, 1 cup sugar, 3 1/2 oz. lemon juice (fresh is best), 1 whole star anise pod, 1 peel (no pith) from orange, 1 lb. pitted cherries. Whatever variety of cherry you want to use is going to work just fine. I used dark cherry.

Directions In a medium sauce pan put all the ingredients except the cherries, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until all the sugar has dissolved.

Add the cherries and continue to simmer for about ten minutes or until the liquid develops a cherry flavor to it. Keep in mind you don't want to cook the cherries just bring out their flavor.

Remove from heat and place contents of pan in a bowl to further cool and stop the cherries from cooking. When the cherries and syrup are room temprature transfer to a jar or something else air tight and put in fridge. These are great for topping cake, cupcakes or my personal favorite making my own homemade Shirley Temple and Rob Roy mocktails.

If you store them right they should last a few weeks in the fridge...unless you eat them straight from the jar...I do that to.