Homemade Cherries in Kirsch
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Homemade Cherries in Kirsch are quick and easy to make for half the price of shop bought. The taste is fresh, richly intense and fruity. Ideal for making Black Forest Gateau, a grown-up Eton Mess or spooned over ice cream for indulgent desserts.
You will love how easy this cherries soaked in Kirsch recipe is to make at home. We are using British grown fresh sweet black cherries which are easy to find in the late summer months in the supermarket. It’s a few mere steps to pit them, simmer them until tender, then make a quick Kirsch infused syrup to submerge them into.
You’ll soon have luxuriously juicy cherries with a deep cherry flavour intensified by the complexity of the kirsch.
This recipe is not for long-term storage but does keep very well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I guarantee they will not be hanging around for that long.
I used to make these Kirsch cherries regularly to layer into my Black Forest Cake which was a seasonal favourite on my cake stall. Not only do they taste fresher and not as sweet as the shop bought kind but they were also so much cheaper and easy to have to hand as long as cherries were in season.
Why You’ll Love Homemade Cherries in Kirsch
- Fresher flavoured cherries than shop bought.
- Simple ingredients needed. Just four (plus water!).
- Not as sweet – which is a common complaint of shop bought cherries soaked in Kirsch
- Much more economical than buying from the shops.
- Ideal for any Black Forest themed desserts – gateau, trifle, ice cream, mousse.
Ingredients Needed
Fresh Cherries. Traditionally (or if you had the choice) you might plump for fresh morello or sour cherries for these preserved cherries but I have always made mine with sweet black cherries as they are what’s easiest to find in the UK. If you do want to make with fresh sour cherries then you might choose to add more sugar to the recipe. I do recommend making this recipe with fresh and not tinned or canned cherries. You can use frozen cherries, as long as they have been pitted prior to freezing.
Water. You actually want just enough water to cover the cherries so that they simmer completely submerged in the water. So the amount you need may vary depending on the size of your saucepan. You use this same water for making your preserving syrup, but you probably won’t need it all so once you’ve drained your cherries you’ll need to reduce the water a little before adding your sugar and lemon juice.
Sugar. You need white sugar – regular granulated is fine. You could swap it out for an alternative like honey but it will change the sweetness and flavour. Regular white sugar is neutral in flavour and allows the cherries and kirsch flavours to shine.
Lemon juice. This fresh lemon juice (you could use bottled) is to add a little sour citrus flavour in lieu of using sour cherries. If you are using morello or sour cherries instead of black cherries then you might want to give the lemon juice a miss.
Kirsch. This is a clear cherry spirit which has a lovely clean but intense flavour. This is what gives our cherry syrup its signature flavour.
How To Make Cherries in Kirsch
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Wash and pit the cherries.
Add the cherries to a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring them up to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes until tender. Spoon off the scum.
Drain the cherries, reserving the cherry water. Spoon the cherries into clean, sterilised jar/s.
Reduce the cherry water down in the saucepan to reach 250g. Add the sugar and lemon juice and simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved and you have a smooth syrup.
Remove from the heat and stir in the kirsch.
Pour the kirsch syrup over the cherries in the jar/s. Make sure the cherries are fully submerged in the syrup. Seal tightly closed with a lid and allow to cool completely.
Store in the refrigerator and use within 1-2 weeks.
Tips & Troubleshooting
I love this multi cherry pitter gadget which comes out every August. I’ve had it for years.
If you are using a smaller or larger saucepan for cooking your cherries then you might need more water. It can be reduced after draining your cherries to get to the right weight which is 250g when you are adding the sugar and lemon juice.
Use a jug to help with precise pouring instead of pouring the liquid directly from the saucepan into the jars.
Use sterilised equipment. Glass jars can be sterilised in the oven; wash them thoroughly then heated in an oven pre-heated to 160°C / 140°C fan assisted / gas mark 3 / 320°F for 20 minutes. Lids, plastic jugs, funnels and spoons can be sterilised in boiling water for 10 minutes. I have a detailed guide on How To Sterilise Bottles For Preserves which is useful to look at if you need advice.
The cherries should be totally submerged in the syrup to help keep them well preserved and avoid spoilage.
I pot these cherries into two large jars which holds 380g. Different sized jars might need more or less syrup to submerge the cherries.
If you have a lot of leftover syrup when you have enjoyed all of your cherries then you can use it for cocktails, salad dressings, buttercreams, soaking sponges or used as a glaze for baked ham or duck or added to gravies and sauces.
FAQs
These cherries will last up to 2 weeks if kept in sterilised jars in the refrigerator.
The recipe as it stands has not been developed for long term storage. I would recommend consulting guidance from the UK Food Standards Agency or use a tested recipe developed for long term storage.
You can use frozen cherries, hopefully they are already pitted as it can be trickier to pit thawed cherries as they are softer and won’t hold their shape as well. You can heat the frozen pitted cherries directly from the freezer.
You can absolutely make this recipe without adding in the Kirsch at the end of the recipe. They will be sweeter and simpler in flavour.
How To Use Homemade Cherries in Kirsch
- Layer into Black Forest Gateau for its signature flavour.
- Spoon over vanilla ice cream for a sophisticated dessert.
- Enjoy with homemade mini meringues, in an Eton Mess, or piled high in a cherry pavlova.
- Drop a cherry and a dash of syrup into a glass of prosecco for a fancy cocktail.
- Use in trifles instead of the traditional jam or jelly layer.
- Spoon into the bottom of these Chocolate Pots for a simply yet fancy dessert.
- Lovely as an accompaniment to a simply baked Vanilla Cheesecake but actually they taste wonderful with this Cheddar Cheesecake.
More Cherry Recipes You’ll Love
Red Berry Eton Mess is a quintessential British dessert. Here we crush crisp yet chewy homemade meringue into fresh summer berries and cherries muddled with a thick mascarpone cream.
This Cherry Clafoutis makes the most of cherry season. It’s a quick dessert, made even more delicious with the use of gluten-free flours and a plant based milk which makes the recipe dairy-free too.
This heavenly Gluten-Free Chocolate Cherry Cake is easy to whip up with fresh luscious cherries baked into a moist chocolate loaf cake. Drizzled with a thick chocolate glaze.
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Homemade Cherries in Kirsch
Ingredients
- 500 g black cherries
- 500 g water
- 75 g white sugar
- ½ lemon - juiced
- 90 g Kirsch
Instructions
- Wash and pit the cherries then place into a large saucepan.
- Cover the cherries with the water, making sure they are fully submerged, then bring them up to a gentle simmer. Continue to cook the cherries for 3 minutes until just tender and still holding their shape.
- Drain the cherries from the pan, reserving the cherry water. Spoon the cherries into clean, sterilised jar/s.
- Weigh the cherry water, you need about 250g. If it’s over that weight then you can pour back into the saucepan and cook the water to reduce down until you have achieved the correct weight.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice to the cherry water and bring to a gentle boil. Continue to simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the kirsch.
- Pour the kirsch syrup over the cherries in the jar/s. Make sure the cherries are fully submerged in the syrup. Seal tightly closed with a lid and allow to cool completely.
- Store in the refrigerator and use within 1-2 weeks.
Notes
- Use sterilised jars to store. I store mine in 2 x 380g jars.
- Glass jars can be sterilised in the oven; wash them thoroughly then heated in an oven pre-heated to 160°C / 140°C fan assisted / gas mark 3 / 320°F for 20 minutes. Lids, plastic jugs, funnels and spoons can be sterilised in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- You can use morello or sour cherries but then you might like to omit the lemon juice or add a little more sugar.
- These cherries will last up to 2 weeks if kept in sterilised jars in the refrigerator.
- These Cherries in Kirsch are perfect for Black Forest Gateau.
