Canned Cherries

 This past spring I was in canning mode and wanted to try cherries. My primary motivation was to be able to make a completely homemade cherry pie during the holidays. I used big plump bing cherries. I know ... I know ... I violated some kind of culinary law because I didn't use tart or sour cherries .... so what!

  The toughest part of the whole ordeal was pitting the cherries, but what can you do about it .. they have to come out. I got a cherry pitter from my local cooking gadget store and went to town. I started with about 20 lbs of cherries and it took me about 1.5 hours to get through them all. I washed them real good before starting and after I was done pitting. The rest is cake (or pie as it were).

Canned Cherries in Simple Syrup (7 quarts)

20 lbs cherries, pitted (about 3 lbs per quart)

10 c water

10 c sugar

  Combine equal parts water and sugar to form the simple syrup (also known as heavy syrup) in a large sauce pan on med high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Just before the liquid boils turn the heat down to med low to stay hot. Fill your jars with cherries to the shoulder leaving at least an inch head room. Ladle hot syrup in to each jar covering cherries and leaving 1/2 inch head space. Release any air bubbles in the jar. Adjust two-piece canning lids. Process pints and quarts for 25 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Enjoy!

TTFN

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