Day One – Cherry Lime Tart – Homemade Maraschino Cherries
Whew! It’s been two weeks! Have you missed me? Nah… I didn’t think so. You’ve been totally consumed by the beginning of summer that you haven’t been in the house looking up recipes. I know, I know. The kids are out of school, vacation plans are in full swing, the pool is open, camp is in session, summer school isn’t going well. Yeah, I’m a mom. I know what you’re going through.
We were on vacation in Hawaii right after school got out. My Little Cup and I went to spend some time with my folks, my brother and my niece. We had a great time! For tons of photos, check out my Instagram feed.
Yep, we had a blast!
And then we came home… And sure enough, the day after we’re home, my little one gets sick! On Tuesday, she started running a fever and had a fever through Saturday.
So, this tart seriously took me a few days to create!
Luckily, I had the cherries made before I left for the Big Island and they were still good after twenty days in the fridge! I was so thrilled that the cherries lasted so long.
I seriously thought that they were going to be a total loss, but I guess the heat and the seal were such that they lasted very well in the fridge.
While I was researching homemade Maraschino Cherries on the internet, I found a lot of variations. Mainly dealing with alcohol content and flavoring of the cherries. I’ve always liked Stephanie’s Blog and since she has an alcohol free version I decided to give that a try.
I liked the flavor of the orange peel and pomegranate juice. Not quite a “cherry flavor” but a nice flavor all the same. I didn’t have the star anise that her recipe called for, so I just omitted it because I didn’t have time to run to the store.
While I was removing the pits, I removed some of the stems and left some on just to get the full maraschino effect.
If you make them, please share them on my Facebook page!
*Note – This recipe contains an affiliate link.Rating
Cook time:
Serves: 1 pound (2 quarts)
- Recipe from HERE
- 1½ cup water
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 3½ fluid ounces lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 1 large orange peel, just the peel
- 1 pound cherries, pitted
- Place all ingredients, except the cherries, into a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat until a you reach a low simmer. Stir a few times until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add the cherries and continue to simmer for ten minutes. Give the sauce a taste-test to see if it has taken on a cherry flavor.
- Pour out cherries and juice into a large bowl and cool to room temperature. To speed up the process, place the bowl in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Transfer into one quart jars or an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least three days to a week before eating.
So happy that the cherry’s held up for you!!! Cause I had a sneak preview and they were really good!!!!
Me too! I was kinda worried about them.
Karyn, these look amazing, and I don;t even like maraschino cherries
These don’t taste or look like canned Maraschino. They are Bing Cherries in pomegranate and orange so they have a citrus essence to them. You may like these much better.
I don’t like canned Maraschinos, but yours look way better! Want to make soon, the sooner the better
They were very easy to make. No special instructions, just yummy cherries as the end result.
Love that you made and enjoyed them! Thanks for letting me know!
You’re welcome. And they are still going strong in the fridge for a MONTH! I’m the only one in my house who will eat cherries… go figure!
How neat to make these at home!
Can these be canned and stored longer or just for fridge?
I think mine lasted almost a month. If you don’t break the seal they should last a good long time, but once the can is opened I’d use them up quickly. There are no preservatives to keep for a long time.
Ok i am new to canning, once they are fine cooking can i pour them into a jar and put the lid on and just let them cool and seal that way?
Sure! I didn’t “can” them, but the seal did suction down, so I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
Oh my these look so good! I have never even though of making your own….I will have to make these for my son (and myself of course). We both love cherries (found you on Create Link Inspire)
It’s a labor of love, but so worth it in the end. However, as I stated, they don’t taste like traditional Maraschino Cherries and to me, that was good thing!
I bet they taste even better! (and much better for you I’m sure)
I love the idea of making maraschino cherries at home! I love that you used an alcohol-free version, because I love maraschino cherries but we don’t keep alcohol in the house.
I love the idea!
Thanks! I’m glad that you find this recipe helpful. I wanted my daughter to be able to enjoy the cherries as well, so I thought it was a good option!
These look amazing! When I was a little girl I used to sneak Maraschino Cherries after everyone went to bed. Thanks for linking to Tips & Tricks. I can’t wait to see what you link up next week. I pinned this to our Tips & Tricks recipe board on Pinterest.