These Homemade Maraschino Cherries are so delicious! They make the perfect cocktail garnish and are so easy! You'll be tempted to just eat them from the jar.
Why Make Homemade Maraschino Cherries?
I know what you're thinking, why should I make maraschino cherries when I can just go buy a jar at the store?
Well, for one thing, those bright red neon cherries are so bad for you! They are first processed in a brine solution to bleach out all the color. Then they are soaked in a syrupy solution (usually with high fructose corn syrup) and then a vat of color dye to turn them that unnatural red.
Isn't that crazy? Cherries are already so pretty, why would we strip off their color and add a fake color.
I stopped using the bright red cherry maraschinos ages ago (except sometimes for a photo.) I switched to the Luxardo brand, which were great, but a little pricey.
When I bought some tart cherry juice to make a Tart Cherry Negroni. I had lots left over and had the idea to make my own maraschino cherries. A very good idea.
Ingredients and Tools Needed to Make Maraschino Cherries
Apron - optional, but pitting cherries can get very messy! It helps if you have a cute vintage one like I do.
Cherry pitter - yes you can pit cherries without one, but it's so much easier with one! Mine doesn't have a guard like this OXO Cherry Pitter - I think I'm going to get it, it would probably help a lot with the splatter!
Cherries - I used Bing Cherries.
Sugar - optional, but I liked the sweetness it brings to the table.
Maraschino Liqueur - every liqueur cabinet should have a bottle of this, it's great in the Aviation Cocktail. You can also use brandy, whiskey, rum, really whatever liquor you would like!
Tart Cherry Juice - you'll use it in the Tart Cherry Negroni and I plan on coming up with a few more cocktails to use it in. It's also delicious and good for you!
How to Make The Best Cocktail Cherries!
Let's talk about how easy it is to make these cherries. The first thing you need to decide is if you want to keep the stem on. If you want the stem on, you need to pit them from the side, which can be a little tricky, but doable. I decided that I didn't care about keeping the stem on, so I pitted them the usual way, straight down from the top to bottom.
In a saucepan combine the maraschino cherry liqueur, sugar, and tart cherry juice. Bring it to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn it off and add the cherries, pressing down to submerge them. Let cool to room temperature and then transfer them to a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
They will keep in the fridge for at least 2-3 months. Don't worry, they won't last that long, once you taste how delicious they are!
These cherries are so good, they are going to become your favorite cocktail garnish! I admit, I add them to almost every cocktail now. I need to store them in the back of the fridge, because every time I open the door, I want to snack on one or two!
On a side note, our kitty, Luxie, is actually named after the Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Liqueur!
For your convenience, I've listed some cocktails that are normally garnished with a cherry!
Cocktails using a Cherry Garnish
If you're looking for even more recipes to use your cherries in, be sure and follow my Drinks Recipe Board on Pinterest!
Homemade Maraschino Cherries
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherry liqueur like Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
- ¾ pound cherries
- 3 tablespoons tart cherry juice
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Wash and pit the cherries. Either pit vertically to remove the stem or pit horizontally to keep the stem intact.
- In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine the cherry liqueur, sugar and tart cherry juice. Stirring to dissolve the sugar. When it just begins to simmer, remove from the heat.
- Add the cherries and let cool to room temperature before storing the cherries and the juice in a lidded jar in the refrigerator.
Theresa Lemieux says
These were great! Thank for the recipe. I used sour cherries, I don’t know the varietal. I am thinking of trying dark sweet cherries in the Luxardo dark cherry liqueur and dark cherry juice using your proportions and technique. Although perhaps those are best in bourbon. What do you think?
Pam Greer says
I'd say try it, it sounds like it would be good!
Katy says
What did I do wrong? They don’t taste like (Luxardo) maraschino cherries at all and I followed the recipe to the letter. The juice they’re in is all watery, not syrupy at all.
Pam Greer says
I'm not sure.
Bernadette Gallegos says
How long do they last in the refrigerator?
Pam Greer says
Since they are in liqueur they almost last indefinitely. For the best flavor and texture, I try to use them up within 6 months.
Kathy Cook says
The recipe ingredients are contradictory. In the story part of the page it’s maraschino liqueur, but the ingredient list says cherry liqueur. Luxardo makes both a maraschino liqueur and a cherry liqueur. Which one is it?
Pam Greer says
It's maraschino liqueur.
Mike says
I want to try this with cranberries
Kathy says
Is the heating process enough to burn off the alcohol? I love to use cherries over ice cream sundaes for my grandchildren, but am hesitant due to the alcohol.
On another note not only were they super easy to make, they are delicious!!
Thanks for the recipe.
Pam Greer says
I don't think I would serve them for kids, just because I am not sure if all the alcohol would be removed. They would probably enjoy the vibrant red cherries from the grocery store even more any way 🙂
Stacey says
If you simmer the syrup a little longer, it should cook off a significant amount of the alcohol. Personally, I would rather give my kids the tiniest amount of alcohol on a dessert versus the Red 40 coloring in the store version. Love that this recipe lets us eliminate that!
Catherine says
Hi! I second the comment about not feeding them red40 cherries but you're an awesome grandma for wanting to make them homemade for them!! So sweet. I would say your best bet is looking up how much time and what temp is required to burn off alcohol. You can likely use that information to make them kid-friendly 🥰
CS says
If kids are going to be your main eaters, skip the alcohol altogether and sub an equal amount of tart cherry juice + sugar or even water + sugar... The juice might yield more flavour. I'd dissolve 1 Tb sugar in the tart cherry juice or water, taste it to see if it's sweet enough, then add more sugar by Tablespoons until it pleases your palate!
Victor says
How long before they’re ready to eat after jarring?
Pam Greer says
They are good to go after a few days, but they get better the longer they are in the fridge.
Mindy says
Could I use vodka or is that too much alcohol?
Pam Greer says
You could, but the Maraschino liqueur gives it extra flavor.
Terry says
How long are they good for in the fridge?
Pam Greer says
I try to use mine within 6 months to a year.
Margarita says
Can I use this recipe and waterbath can them?
Pam Greer says
I don't know. You have to have the right amount of sugar for water bath canning to make it safe.
Della Muscat says
Hi Pam, Do you have to pit the cherries? I'm wondering if that changes the flavour at all?
Pam Greer says
I pit the cherries because they are easier to eat. I know the pits have an almond like flavor, so it might effect the flavor some.
CS says
Water bath canning has worked fine for us. We used this guide: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/canning-fruits-and-fruit-products/cherries-whole/
Nancy Kanter says
Thank you for posting about water bath canning!
CS says
We water bath can cherries. Cherries are considered a high-acid food so safe to can and can be hot or raw packed. The texture may be a little softer but they're still tasty and don't take up months of precious fridge space. We've used the University of Georgia's (UGA) National Center for Home Preservation (NCFP) website for instructions on canning whole cherries. A web search yields several instructional sites.
Heather says
I just made these after being given a box of cherries a friend couldn’t use before going on vacation. I live in a cherry area, lots of orchards all over our county here in California.
They are cooling on the stove right now, but I can’t wait to make more! Thank you for the recipe .I would add gloves to the list as my fingers are now stained, lol.
Pam Greer says
These are so good, I hope you enjoy them!! Yes, I do need to add gloves to the list!
Catherine says
Would you happen to know of any cherry places that ship directly? I live in Florida and would love to buy some but I can't find good cherries here in orlando?
Tracy says
What kind of cherry should you use
Kaye says
Have you ever tried making these with frozen dark tart cherries?
Pam Greer says
No. It would probably work, but I don't know that they would stay as firm.
Debra says
Haha...but really smart to add the apron onto the list of what's needed. I for sure need one! Going to stock up on cherries while they're in season and make a bunch of these. Excellent recipe for those of us avoiding all the fake stuff.
Pam Greer says
Yes, if you could see what my clothes looked like before I added the apron!
Marjie says
My youngest son just bought fresh cherries from the store, and was horrified to discover that they have pits! I had no idea there was such a thing as a cherry pit remover. (And I routinely forget my apron; it doesn't always go well for me when I do.)
Pam Greer says
I bet you have a cute apron that you sewed!
Trish Bozeman says
YES! I had no idea these were so easy to make from scratch. We love maraschinos in cocktails, but I'm always bothered by the chemicals in the jars. You know what? We are going cherry picking this weekend and I'm gathering recipes to make. This one is a MUST!
Pam Greer says
You're going to love them!! I've been putting them in all my cocktails, even those that don't call for cherries!
Jenni LeBaron says
I've never thought to make my own maraschino cherries, but this is completely brilliant! I usually stay away from the ones at the store because they are so heavily processed but now I can totally enjoy them again with this recipe. Love that this is simple and easy!
Pam Greer says
Really easy and so good! I stopped garnishing with cherries because I hated the store bought ones!
Daniela says
I LOVE cocktails, but I never thought to make Maraschino cherries at home. Now that I know it's so easy, I can't wait to give this recipe a try. Lucky for me, cherries are currently in season. Farmers market, here I come! 🙂
Pam Greer says
You are going to love using these in your cocktails!
Tracy says
This is amazing!! I had no idea they bleached out the color, but of course, that makes perfect sense. We never use them because fresh is always better, but now we can have cherries well past the too short season! Thank you for all of the great tips, too!!
Tina says
What a culinary crime! I didn't know that's what they did to maraschino cherries in the store. I just thought it was an unusually bright colored cherry variety. Great article, saving this for later.
Pam Greer says
I knew they didn't look right, but I had no idea how they made them look like that!
Ann says
You can eat these without a cocktail right? Over really good vanilla ice cream? Or dipped in dark chocolate?
Pam Greer says
They would be great on vanilla ice cream and crazy good dipped in chocolate.
Nabeela says
That's such an excellent idea! I've always hated recipes that asked me to use those neon jarred cherries.
Pam Greer says
Right! And, wait until you taste how good they are!
Gloria says
What a great idea. I really don't like the store bought ones. These sound delicious. What a fun food gift this would be. I know I would LOVE to receive these.
Pam Greer says
These are sooo much better than the store bought ones!
Anna says
Hi and thanks for the recipe! Do you think I could replace cherry liqueur with some brandy? I have cherries but i don't have liqueur and don't want to buy it either.
Pam Greer says
You could, but then you have brandied cherries not maraschino cherries. They would still be good, but not the same thing.
SHANIKA says
I've never made this, but this looks like such a delicious topping!
Pam Greer says
Thank you! It is!
Sylvie says
If only I had know how easy it was to make your own Maraschino Cherries, I would have stopped buying them ages ago... Thanks for the awesome recipe, never buying them ever again!! Yum 🙂
Pam Greer says
Me neither!
Jamie says
This looks so wonderful! We're in peak cherry season over here in WA state and this would be perfect to make!
Pam Greer says
Make a bunch!
Sandhya Hariharan says
These cherries sound like a lot of fun. I would love them in my desserts.
Pam Greer says
They are great in desserts!
Shinta Simon says
What a delicious idea! I love everything cherry in the summer, and I am so tempted to give this a go
Pam Greer says
You should try it!! They are so good!