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If you have only ever had shop bought bright red glacé cherries before then you are in for such a treat with these gloriously fruity Homemade Glacé Cherries made with fresh seasonal cherries. Lusciously juicy, full of sweet cherry flavour these glacé cherries will level up your fruit cakes, fridge cakes, rocky roads, Christmas cakes and cocktails! They are not an overnight recipe and require a little bit of time but I guarantee the results will mean you never go back to shop bought again!
Jump to:
- Are glacé cherries real cherries?
- What are glacé cherries?
- How to make glacé cherries
- Quick summary of the recipe
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Glacé cherries vs. maraschino cherries
- Ingredients needed
- Step by step instructions
- Pro tips and troubleshooting
- How to store
- How to sterilise the jar/s
- Equipment I love
- Glacé cherries uses
- How to use the leftover syrup
- More ‘from scratch’ baking ingredient recipes
- Homemade Glacé Cherries
- How to store
- How to use leftover syrup
Are glacé cherries real cherries?
Yes, glacé cherries are made from real cherries. Homemade Glacé Cherries are the real deal and are a world away from the lurid preservative driven red cherries you can find in the supermarket. They don’t have the brilliant postbox red colour but instead command an alluring burgundy. Their texture is also much more dense and fudgey and will pay dividends into your baking all year round.
What are glacé cherries?
They are the most common candied fruit, made from real cherries. Made from preserving real cherries in a sugar syrup so they can be stored for various uses long beyond cherry season.
These candied cherries capture the gorgeous sweet and fruity flavour of your favourite summer stone fruit and can be used for so many different baking recipes.
How to make glacé cherries
Fresh cherries are pitted then cooked in water until tender. The cherries are removed with a slotted spoon then sugar is added to the cooking water to make a sugar syrup. This sugar syrup is then used to pour over the cherries to soak and preserve overnight.
The process of re-heating the sugar syrup and then re-soaking the cherries is repeated several times over following days. This is not a quick recipe that you can complete in one afternoon. It takes 10 days in total (more if you’re feeling a bit lazy – this recipe can be a very relaxed affair) but apart from the first and last day you only need to spend a maximum of 10 minutes tending to your cherries each day.
The reason for this lengthy and sustained soaking and re-heating in the sugar syrup is to ensure the cherries will keep well in your larder or pantry without getting mouldy.
✨At the end of the recipe you will not need to store your glacé cherries in the sugar syrup (unlike other recipes). You can dry the cherries and then store in your larder / pantry or in the fridge for extra long shelf life. This means your cherries will not add excess liquid to your baking recipes and can be used exactly the same as the supermarket bought ones.✨
Quick summary of the recipe
- Day 1. Pit the cherries. Simmer until tender. Create a syrup from the cooking liquid and sugar and pour over your cherries to soak.
- Day 2-5. Drain cherries. Add more sugar to the syrup, heat until melted and pour back over your cherries to soak.
- Day 6. Repeat Day 5 but leave your cherries for at least 4 days to soak.
- Day 10. Drain your cherries and dry in a low oven for at least 2 hours. Store until needed.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Made with fresh seasonal sweet cherries.
- If your cherry trees are bursting with fruit then this recipe is a great way for making sure they don't go to waste.
- They are rich and sweet, with a fresh cherry flavour and slightly chewy texture.
- They knock the socks of shop bought glacé cherries with more natural moisture.
- Natural colouring. A beautiful deep rich red that shine like beautifully expensive rubies, vastly different from different colours you see in the supermarket.
- The recipe isn’t rigid, you can leave your cherries for longer to soak during each stage of the recipe if you can’t afford time to tend to them each day.
- No corn syrup. The cherries are candied through sugar syrup.
Glacé cherries vs. maraschino cherries
Glacé cherries are the best choice for baking, while you might open a jar of maraschino cherries to use as decoration in cocktails and desserts.
- Glacé cherries are made by cooking cherries in a sugar syrup until they become candied and chewy. They have a natural sweet cherry flavour.
- Maraschino cherries, on the other hand, are made with food dye producing their jolly red colour during the preservation process and often flavoured with almond extract. They have a more artificial flavour.
Ingredients needed
- Fresh seasonal cherries. I know some people have achieved success with frozen cherries but I myself haven’t tried it. You can use any type of cherry.
- Sugar. White granulated sugar is the best choice here for even melting.
- Water. From the tap is absolutely fine.
Step by step instructions
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
DAY 1
- Prepare your cherries. Pit the cherries then heat them in simmering water until tender. Drain and reserve the liquid.
- Make the syrup. Heat the cherry cooking liquid with sugar until the sugar has melted then pour over the cherries. Cover and leave for 24 hours.
DAY 2-5
Drain the cherries and re-heat the syrup with more sugar. Once the sugar has melted pour back over the cherries, cover and leave for another 24 hours.
DAY 6
Repeat Day 5 but this time leave the cherries for at least 4 days for their final soaking.
DAY 10
Drain the cherries. Reserve the syrup for a future use (although you’ll no longer be needing it for this recipe) and place your cherries on a wire rack. Once they have drip dried as much as they are going to then you place the rack in a very low heated oven and dry out the cherries for 2 hours until they only a little tacky. Store in a sterilised jar.
Pro tips and troubleshooting
- Use a proper cherry pitter for preparing the cherries so you only get minimal damage to the fruit and a nice clean hole.
- You can save the cherry pits for making Homemade Kirsch or Cherry Vodka.
- The initial boiling of the cherries takes about 10-15 minutes until they are tender.
- Don’t stir the sugar into the liquid (or the syrup after Day 1), let it dissolve naturally – otherwise it could crystallise.
- Bring to a gentle boil. As soon as the syrup begins to bubble check the sugar has completely dissolved then immediately remove from heat. It is important the sugar does not reach caramelisation temperature 160°C (320°F). Using a candy thermometer can help ensure precise temperature control.
- Don’t put the lid on the cherries right away – allow to cool to room temperature before covering.
- You can keep your soaking cherries either at room temperature or in the fridge, it depends on how humid your kitchen is.
How to store
- Don't store your cherries in direct sunlight. Your finished candied cherries will fare well in a cool dark place in a sterilised jar (like a larder or pantry). They keep well for up to 2 months. Although the longevity of the cherries depends on how well they have been dried and that the jar is totally sterilised and isn’t opened. To that end, I mostly keep mine in the fridge as I don’t want to tempt fate after all the hard work I put in.
- If stored in the fridge your glacé cherries will last easily up to 2 months.
How to sterilise the jar/s
Place your jar in an oven pre-heated to 200ºC / 180ºC / gas mark 6 for 15 minutes to fully sterilise. If the lid is glass then place in the oven along with the jar. If the lid is metal then it is best sterilised in boiling water for 10 minutes so it doesn’t spoil.
Equipment I love
- This multi cherry pitter which pits 6 cherries at a time is such a time saver and is highly recommended.
- For soaking your cherries I strongly recommend using these Pyrex bowls with lids for this recipe.
- To store your glacé cherries these Glass Weck Jars 580ml are ideal.
Glacé cherries uses
- Baking: Add chopped glacé cherries to your favourite baked goods. They are the main ingredient in this Gluten-Free Cherry Cake and can also be included in rocky road, chocolate tiffin, pineapple upside down cake, cookies or quickbreads. They can add a burst of sweetness and a pop of colour to your creations.
- Fruit Cake: Candied cherries are a classic ingredient in fruit cakes. Use in a lovely farmhouse fruit cake or a more traditional Christmas Cake or Christmas Pudding. Also perfect for the Easter Simnel Cake fruit cake. You can incorporate them into the cake batter or use them to decorate the top of the cake.
- Ice cream and desserts: Sprinkle candied cherries over ice cream sundaes, parfaits, cheesecakes or other chilled desserts. They provide a lovely contrast in texture and flavour.
- Trail mix and granola bars: Mix glacé cherries with nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate chips to create a flavourful trail mix or incorporate them into homemade granola bars.
- Cocktails: Use glacé cherries as a garnish for cocktails like Manhattans or Shirley Temples.
How to use the leftover syrup
With this recipe you will be left with the most deliciously fruity cherry syrup which will really come into its own in your kitchen.
This is an amazing ingredient which can be used in a variety of ways in its own right, from from drizzling over ice cream to creating deliciously moist and flavourful cakes to buttercream to salad dressings and marinades.
If you want to learn more about how to use your leftover syrup and have access to exclusive recipes then CLICK HERE >>> Leftover Syrup: Recipes & Tips.
More ‘from scratch’ baking ingredient recipes
- Mixed Spice Recipe
- Homemade Stem Ginger in Syrup
- Homemade Crystallised Ginger
- Homemade Marzipan
- Homemade Mixed Peel
✨Have you tried this Homemade Glace Cherry Recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨
Homemade Glacé Cherries
Ingredients
- 600 g fresh cherries
- 700 ml boiling water
- 1 kg granulated sugar
Instructions
Day 1
- Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter so that the cherry remains intact and the hole where the pit came out is as neat as possible.
- Place the cherries in a large pan with the boiling water (you want the water to just cover the cherries), turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the cherries are just tender.
- Drain the cherries but reserve the liquid. Place the cherries into a heatproof bowl (if it has a lid all the better!) and set aside for a moment.
- Weigh the cooking liquid. You want it to weigh 500g. If there is not enough liquid then make up the difference with more boiling water.
- Pour the reserved liquid back into the saucepan with 500g of the sugar and bring to a gentle boil. As soon as the syrup begins to bubble then turn off the heat and pour the syrup over the cherries.
- Cover the bowl and leave to soak for 24 hours.
Day 2
- Strain the syrup into a large saucepan and return the cherries to the bowl.
- Add 100g of sugar to the saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. As soon as the syrup reaches boiling point again then remove from the heat.
- Pour the syrup back over the cherries, cover and leave for another 24 hours.
Day 3-5
- Repeat Day 2
Day 6
- Repeat the process again with the remaining 100g sugar but this time leave the cherries for at least 4 days (you can leave for up to a week if you like).
Day 10
- The syrup should have now turned very thick and heavy. Drain the cherries. Place the cherries on an ovenproof wire rack, set onto a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Don’t let the cherries touch each other and allow the syrup to drip off for a couple of hours.
- Pre-heat oven to 90ºC / 70ºC fan / Gas mark ¼ and place the cherries in the middle of the oven. Dry your cherries in the oven for 1 -2 hours until dry but still slightly tacky.
- Store your cherries in a sterilised jar and keep either in a cool dark place or the fridge for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from The Cook’s Scrapbook by Reader’s Digest
- This recipe was updated in October 2021 with new images, a much clearer method and lots of tips. Although the general process of the recipe has remained the same, the quantities were amended for a slightly higher amount of cherries so you get more cherries for the amount of effort put in. Plus the method was made slightly easier and quicker and ready in 10 days instead of 2 weeks.
- The initial boiling of the cherries takes about 10-15 minutes until they are tender.
Don’t stir the sugar into the liquid (or the syrup after Day 1), let it dissolve naturally – otherwise it could crystallise. - Bring to a gentle boil. As soon as the syrup begins to bubble check the sugar has completely dissolved then immediately remove from heat. It is important the sugar does not reach caramelisation temperature.
- Don’t put the lid on the cherries right away – allow to cool to room temperature before covering.
- You can keep your soaking cherries either at room temperature or in the fridge, it depends on how humid your kitchen is.
- It is possible to dry your cherries in a dehydrator if you have one.
- The cherries usually take 1-2 hours to dry in the oven depending on the cherry and how much syrup they have retained in their middle. Touch and squeeze the cherry just to check. They should be slightly tacky with no syrup coming out when you squeeze.
How to store
- It’s imperative to store the cherries in sterilised jars in order to prolong the life of your glace cherries.
It is possible to store in a pantry or larder for up to 2 months. However, to be extra cautious I usually store in the fridge where they will keep happily for up to 2 months.
Tanya M says
I have homemade canned cherries in light syrup.
I’m considering trying your recipe using these and starting from day2 of the process. Have you ever tried this or have any suggestions?
Your recipe looks devine.
Georgina Hartley says
I think that would be fine. I would drain your cherries and pat dry since they are in syrup so will contribute a bit of excess sugar but I don't really see that as a problem anyway. I would be interested to know how it works out for you - let me know!
MV says
I don't see instructions for day nine. Are they the same as day 8?
Georgina Hartley says
You don't do anything on Day 9 as at the end of the instructions on Day 8 you leave it to stand for 2 days. Then pick up the next instruction on Day 10.
MaeLynn Velin says
Sorry I didn't read the instructions more thoroughly! Thank you so much for your kind response. 🙂
Joe Simner says
Made these last year and they came out amazing. Doing them again this year with 2 batches and both batches the syrup has solidified, is there any way of making it back into a syrup again?
Georgina Hartley says
At what point has the syrup solidified? It's possibly because the sugar came to too high a temperature so has turned into a sort of hardened caramel. You should just be able to re-melt it.
Sarah and Mark says
Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe. We had so many cherries this year we decided to give it a go. Just finished the first batch and they are brilliant. Much better than shop bought ones and no food colouring! They are still a little sticky. Do they need to be dried out completely before storing? The ones we get in the shops are very sticky so not sure. Many thanks! Sarah and Mark
Georgina Hartley says
It's a pleasure! They are perfect way to use up cherries! If I am keeping them in a larder or pantry then I dry them out completely. I often don't bother and just keep them in the fridge - that way they keep almost indefinitely!!
Amy Thiele says
Hi, I am about to attempt this next week but am needing to do other fruits as well - apricot, peach, pineapple and pears. Years ago we use to get the absolute best glacé fruit in Australia that was all Australian made but the factory closed down and now we are struggling to find anything decent that doesn’t taste metallic... time to try my hand at it... Have you tried to glacé these fruits and do you know if it would be done the same?
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Amy, it's the exact same process for the apricots, peach and pineapples as for the cherries. I haven't tried it with pears though but give it a go! However, you must make sure the fruit is ripe but firm. Anything squishy wouldn't survive the process. Good luck and let me know how it goes!!
David says
Fantastic detailed recipe . I am now making my second batch. The first batch will be used in my Christmas cakes (sorry to use the Christmas word in July!) and the batch currently under production will be enrobed in dark Valrhona chocolate. Thanks Georgina 🙂
David says
Forgot to say - up to now the left over syrup I've used in porridge and over vanilla ice cream BUT huge thank you for the other ideas - cherry vinaigrette this evening I reckon!
Georgina Hartley says
That's amazing that you're getting your Christmas prep in!! Mmm glace cherries in chocolate!! You're welcome for the syrup ideas. I love to use the whole recipe so nothing goes to waste!!
Susan says
I just finished these today and got them into a sterilized jar. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. They taste amazing and I cannot wait to bake with them.
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Susan - that's great! They are such a lovely ingredient to use.
Clare Charlesworth says
Hi Georgina
I'm on day 10 and the cherries already taste amazing, I can't wait for the final tasting!
I just wondered if it's worth drying them in my dehydrator or is it better for them to be air-dried?
Alwo, could the leftover syrup be used when making ice cream? I wondered if I could add some to a batch of vanilla ice cream at the final freeze stage?
Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Clare
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Clare, if you have a dehydrator then that would definitely be the way to go! Oh yes add it into the ice cream that would be delicious!! You are most welcome!
Daniel says
Hello Georgina - roughly how many minutes do the cherries take to be cooked till tender in Day 1? I am planning ahead for when the cherries are in the shops here in the UK in about a month.
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Daniel, sorry I didn't see your question at first. It doesn't take long to initially cook the cherries - about 15 minutes.
Cathy Fielding says
Hello from Los Angeles! Since it is currently December, I'm experimenting making these using frozen cherries. It will be interesting to see how these turn out. BTW...love your blog!
Georgina says
Hi Cathy, let me know how you get on with them! And thank you!!
Cathy Fielding says
Hi Georgina!
Well, today is January 1st, and the cherries are finished. Finally! They came out beautifully, and because I used frozen pitted whole cherries I was able to skip the initial boiling of the fruit, and simply covered the thawed fruit with the simple syrup. From there I followed the instructions to a "T". I wish I was able to post photos here, but alas... I can, however steer you to Instagram, where I did post photos of the finished cherries. Thank you for helping me learn this wonderful new skill!
https://www.instagram.com/cathy_fielding/
Georgina says
They look great!! You are most welcome!
Shareen says
Can I use unrefined sugar or does it have to be white granulated?
Joanna Wilczoch says
I have been trying to perfect a maraschino cherry recipe for a couple years and this is exactly the post I needed. Made tons last year and kept them in jars with the syrup (I added some maraschino cherry liquor and almond extract at the end) and they are still awesome. Excited for another cherry season! Thank you for this recipe!
Georgina says
That's great Joanna! I know, I'm excited about cherry season too!!
Susie Pedersen says
Hi I have a lot of sweet Bing and Rainier Cherries ,is it okay to use these to make maraschino cherries? Thanks!
Susie Pedersen says
I was wondering if I can use fresh bing cherries or Rainier cherries? I have a lot of cherries and I need something to do with them LOL
Georgina says
Yes, you can use any cherries for this recipe, they will be amazing!
Maree says
Hello
How long do the cherries last once glanced
And what is the best why to stored them??........I need to make about 40kg!!
Georgina says
Hi Maree - oh my goodness, 40kg!! In order to make the cherries last as long as possible then you really need to dry them naturally at the end of Step 14 in a sterile environment for about 10 days, previous commentators have suggested a not switched on oven, although that might be difficult with 40kg. Then after they are completely dried I store mine is sterilised jars. That way they will last quite a long time (maybe up to 6 months), although I always try to use mine up within about two months.
Fluffy says
Hi, I'm planning on following this recipe for Christmas and I was just wondering if brandy could some how be involved?If so, where and how? That would be a nice topping for the trifle...
Georgina says
That sounds a lovely idea. You could add the brandy at whatever stage you wanted. You could use brandy instead of the boiling water in step 1 so that the brandy permeates throughout. Or you could just add a few tablespoons of brandy on day 8 and day 10 whilst you are boiling the syrup with the sugar. The brandy should be very easy to incorporate and quite flexible however you choose to use it. Whatever you do, you must not waste that cherry brandy syrup at the end though which would be amazing!! Let me know if you do give it a go and how your trifle turns out!
Christen says
I did something similar to what Fluffy was wondering about. i used these cherries for my Christmas fruitcake and used the cherry syrup + rum, port, and bourbon to baste my cakes. I just got a text from my brother that this was the best fruitcake ever. And you are right, Georgina, there is no comparison to the storebougt fake fruitcake fruit and homemade glaced cherries.
Georgina says
I love the idea of using the leftover syrup to baste the cakes Sounds wonderful Christen!!
Maria says
I love your blog and have been very excited to try this. I have just done Day 7 and as it cools the syrup seems to be solidifying into a giant boiled sweet. It's not rock solid, rather it's a bit pliable. Help! Is there anything I can do to rescue it?
Georgina says
Hi Maria, I'm not sure why that would have happened. Maybe the temperature of your kitchen is affecting the syrup. The soaking cherries need to be kept somewhere cool and dry. Hopefully you can still strain the cherries out. The good news is that on Day 8 you change the syrup anyway by adding more sugar and heating it back up so that should make the syrup more liquidy. If your cherries are stuck in the syrup then heat up the whole thing and fish the cherries out as soon as they become loose and then carry on with the instructions of Day 8.
Lesley Shneier says
Hello Georgina, I just made these cherries and they are delicious! Thanks so much for your clear instructions. I added some of the leftover liquid to the pan juices from lamb chops then poured the deliciously sticky sauce over the chops. Wow! They tasted terrific, and got rave reviews from the family!
I just bought more cherries to make another batch. Can I use the liquid leftover from the first batch or should I start from scratch? Thanks.
Georgina says
Hi Lesley, that's great! You could use the liquid leftover from the first batch but I always like to start afresh. There are so many uses for the leftover cherry syrup that I think it is a bit of a bonus at the end of the recipe. Take a look at my download which you can access beneath the recipe which gives some more ideas how you can use the syrup. Although poured over lamb chops seems like an amazing idea!!
Ian says
Hello Georgina. This looked so fun that I decided to go for it! And they will be great for the Christmas fruitcake I want to make this month. I just completed the first day of this recipe. I wanted to make a lot so I'll have some to give away so i quadrupled the recipe. My question is: while they are soaking for 24 hours should they be in the refrigerator? My thought is that the cold may slow down the absorption of the sugar and that the sugar itself would be enough to keep them preserved at room temperature. Do you agree?
Thank you - Ian
Georgina says
Hi Ian, that's great - I bet they will be very well received! Yes, I completely agree, I don't bother about refrigerating the cherries whilst they are soaking. If they are just left in a cool part of the kitchen then they will be grand. Good luck!
Annelise Grace says
Hi Georgina, these look amazing and I look forward to trying this recipe. I'm wondering how long the glace cherries would keep?
Thanks for your advice, Annelise
Georgina says
Hi Annelise, I recently updated the format of this recipe and unfortunately lost all the comments on this topic. However, if stored correctly in sterilised jars the cherries should keep for up to 6 months or maybe even longer. One of the commenters suggested that the cherries should dry naturally after you have completed day 14 at room temperature in a sterile environment for about 10 days (a not switched on oven is perfect) then sterilise a couple of jars to store your cherries in until they are needed.
Rhoda Potter says
Are they pitted first, or do you cook them with the pits? Will sour cherries work? I'm a bit over-run with Carmine Jewel cherries from my back yard tree at the moment.
Regards, Rhoda
Georgina says
Hi Rhoda, yes you pit them at the beginning and then cook them without the pits. Sour cherries will definitely work, obviously it will be a different flavour profile but they will be amazing!