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DIY Candied Cherries

Christmas Cookies Week is coming up and I was having a hard time getting the candied cherries I needed for a recipe. I went searching for a recipe to make them myself and found this simple one on the King Arthur Baking Company site.

All you need is a jar of maraschino cherries, sugar and some time.  There is a caution at the bottom of their page that says not to leave them unattended and I concur.  I worked on a dough for another recipe while I kept an eye on them simmering. 

 

I have a candy thermometer, but if you don't you can determine soft ball stage by taking some of the syrup and dropping it into a bowl of cold water.  Let it sit for a minute and if you can pick it up and roll it into a ball you're good to go. 

 

I own a billion different cooking utensils, but not a single slotted spoon.  I started out moving them with just a spatula, which was making a huge mess, and then switched to a fork. That worked much better but I'm still putting a slotted spoon on my Christmas wish list!

Another name for candied cherries is glacé, which is defined as "having a glossy surface due to preservation in sugar." To me, they look like little shiny jewels.  Be sure to check back next week to see how I used these beauties! 

DIY Candied Cherries

DIY Candied Cherries
Author: Jolene Martinelli- Jolene's Recipe Journal

Ingredients

  • 16-ounce jar maraschino cherries (without stems)
  • 3/4 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Drain the cherries, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice.
  2. Combine the 1/4 cup cherry juice and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan, and cook over medium heat until the sugar is mostly dissolved (it should be more liquid than granular), 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the cherries to the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering.
  4. Simmer for 45 to 55 minutes, checking on the cherries and stirring them gently every 10 minutes or so, until they're slightly wrinkled and firm when you touch them with a spoon. At this point the syrup should have reached about 235°F, known as soft-ball stage.
  5. Remove the cherries from the heat, uncover the pan, and allow them to cool to room temperature.
  6. Remove the cherries from the pot with a slotted spoon or strainer, transferring them to a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate.
  7. Use cherries immediately, or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Cherries, glace, candied
Dessert, misc
American


Comments

  1. Genius to make your own! I will have to try this. I also have to go look to see if I own a slotted spoon lol

    ReplyDelete

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