Cherry Stone Liqueur Recipes

Steps:

• Mix vodka, brandy and sugar in a large glass measure or medium mixing bowl; stir well to dissolve.
• Cut each washed cherry slightly to open, leave in pits.
• Place cherries in two sterile, quart wide mouth jars or one larger aging container.
• Pour liquid mixture over cherries; stir and cap with tight lids.
• For the first two weeks, shake jars several times.
• Let age in a cool, dark place for at least 3 months for best flavor.
• Strain off liqueur through a wire mesh strainer and discard cherries.
• Rebottle as desired.
• Liqueur is ready in 3 months.
• VARIATIONS:Almond-Cherry Liqueur: For a more prominent"almond" flavor, pit all or part of the cherries.
• Place cherry pits in a clean cloth and hit with a hammer to break them up slightly.
• Put broken pits and pitted cherries in jars or large container and continue as directed.
• Sugarless Cherry Liqueur: Substitute 1 cup apple juice concentrate, undiluted, for the sugar in the Cherry Liqueur recipe.
• Proceed as directed.
• The"sugars" present will be natural fruit sugars rather than the granulated processed sugars.
• Taste is excellent; aging is the same.

Steps:

• Wash and thouroughly dry the cherry stones. Crush them with a heavy rolling pin and put them in a jar with the brandy. Add the sugar, cover and shake well.
• Leave in a warm place for about 1 month. Strain and pour into sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
• Note: Other stone fruits, one type only or a mixture, can also be made into liqueurs.

Steps:

• Wash and remove the stems from the cherries.
• Place a layer of cherries in a 4-quart jar and cover with a ½ inch layer of sugar.
• Continue layering cherries and sugar in this manner, ending with sugar.
• Add the spices and vodka.
• Seal jar.
• Place in a spot that receives the most sunlight during the day.
• Leave to macerate for 4 weeks.
• Add the brandy.
• Seal tightly and let stand another 2 weeks, shaking every so often.
• Strain into another bottle.
• Discard spices.
• Put cherries back in the bottle.
• Store in a cool, dark place.
• To serve: Pour into your pretties liqueur glass (the liqueur is ruby-red) and add 1-2 cherries to each glass.