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Cherry in its own juice without pits for winter
Instructions
Better start with PREPARING JARS. Washed jars (with soda) conveniently STEAMED in pan with water (covered with steam = ready). Boil metal lids 5 MIN.
REMOVE pits with special gadget OR regular hairpin.
Fill cooled jars HALFWAY with berries; slightly crush; add SPOONFUL sugar.
Fill jar ALMOST to top with fruits (during sterilization: cherry+juice rises slightly + may spill out — DON'T fill completely). Gently press down; sprinkle SECOND spoonful sugar.
Line BOTTOM of pot with CLOTH (jars don't rattle/shift during boiling). Place preparations + fill cold water (couple cm below jar neck).
Cover jars with metal lids (DON'T tighten). Turn on stove; BOIL 20 MIN.
Carefully remove from pot; SEAL with key/screw lids. NO heat bath needed — cools on table; then store in cupboard (basement OR apartment). Multi-purpose use: "Drunken Cherry" cake, pies, layers, pastry decoration. Sweet-and-sour cherry integrates wonderfully into culinary creations. Bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
THE PITTED-VERSION ADVANTAGE. Recipe specifies PITTED cherries vs sister recipe (with-pits version). PITTED version benefits: indefinite-storage potential (no amygdalin from pits leaching into syrup over time), pleasant eating without pit-spitting, perfect for cake/pastry filling (no surprise pits in dessert), more visual elegance. Trade-off: pitting labor (~15 min for 1.65 kg cherries with proper tool). The HAIRPIN method (recipe-stated): cheap + accessible alternative to dedicated pitter. Pitting devices: $5-15 for hand tools, $50+ for spring-loaded models. Same pitted-vs-pit advantage: French confitures-dénoyautées, traditional Russian "varenye" pitted versions for dessert use.
- 2
THE MINIMAL-SUGAR OWN-JUICE METHOD. Recipe's 6 tbsp sugar for 1.65 kg cherries (~5% by weight) is genuinely LOW. Standard preserves: 1:1 ratio (50%+ sugar). THIS RECIPE'S 5%: minimum sugar for sterilization-canning preservation. The "in own juice" concept: cherries release natural juice via sugar-osmosis + sterilization preserves. Result: PURE FRESH-CHERRY taste (no sugar-saturation), almost-natural character, perfect for use in DRY desserts (cakes already provide sweetness). Same minimal-sugar in-juice principle: traditional Russian "v sobstvennom soku", Italian frutta-al-naturale. For another classic Russian "in own juice" preserve worth comparing, see Cherry in its Own Juice (sweet).
- 3
THE DON'T-FILL-COMPLETELY EXPANSION-RULE. Step 4's "almost to top — DON'T fill completely" is genuine recipe wisdom. Standard pour-jam fills jars to brim. THIS HOT-PROCESS RECIPE: cherries + juice EXPAND during sterilization — overfilled jar = juice spills + lid contamination + improper seal. PROPER fill (1-2 cm headspace from neck): allows expansion without overflow + clean lid contact + perfect seal. Same expansion-rule principle: traditional canning practices, professional preservation. Don't ignore — overflowing jars are common cause of seal failure.
- 4
THE NO-HEAT-BATH SIMPLIFIED COOLING. Step 7's "no heat bath needed — cools on table" is recipe-specific note. Most canning recipes: require towel-wrap thermal bath 8-12 hours for slow cooling. THIS RECIPE: 20-min in-water sterilization is SUFFICIENT (vs typical 7-15 min sterilization), so no extended thermal bath needed. Tabletop cooling: 4-6 hours to room temperature. The simplified procedure: sufficient because of full 20-min in-water sterilization. Same in-water-sterilization principle: traditional Russian/European canning. For another classic Russian cherry preserve worth trying, try Cherry Jam with Pits.
FAQ
What's "Drunken Cherry" cake? +
Russian dessert classic ("Pyany Vishnya") — cherry liqueur-soaked sponge cake popular in Soviet-era + post-USSR baking. CONCEPT: chocolate sponge cake layered with cherries (often pitted, often soaked in cherry liqueur or kirsch), buttercream frosting + chocolate ganache. The PITTED CHERRY-IN-JUICE preserve = perfect filling-component (already pitted, juice-soaked, sweet-tart-balanced). Modern variations: chocolate version, white-chocolate version, mousse-style. AVAILABILITY: in good Russian/Eastern European bakeries, traditional family-recipe. RECIPE-CANONICAL use of this preserve: drain juice (use in cake-batter or syrup), use cherries in layers. Traditional birthday-cake favorite.
Can I use sour cherries? +
Yes — sour cherries (vishnya) work perfectly. RECIPE-CANONICAL: sweet cherries (chereshnya) — Russian distinction. SOUR CHERRIES: more tart, may need slightly MORE sugar (8 tbsp instead of 6) for taste-balance. SWEET-SOUR mixed (50/50): complex flavor, recipe-traditional alternative. WILD CHERRIES: very tart, use 10 tbsp sugar. The sour-cherry version particularly good for: dessert-fillings (cuts cake-sweetness), meat-sauce base, cocktail mixers. Pitting LABOR: same regardless of variety. AVAILABILITY: sour cherries in Russian/European groceries, frozen acceptable, Morello/Montmorency varieties in Western markets.
How long does it really keep? +
Sealed jars (PITTED, fully-sterilized) at room temperature: UP TO 24 MONTHS at peak quality. Year 1: peak fresh-fruit character. Year 2: still excellent, slight color darkening + flavor mellowing. Past 2 years: still safe but quality diminishes. APARTMENT cabinet: works (recipe-canonical "regular cupboard"). COOL CELLAR (10-15°C): extends quality to 36 months. Once OPENED: refrigerate, consume within 1-2 weeks (in-juice perishable when exposed). Storage tips: dark place ideal, clean dry spoon, tight lid. Spoilage signs: bulging lid, fizzy bubbles, off-smell — discard. The PITTED version: longer-storage advantage over with-pit version.
How do I serve/use it? +
Multi-functional preserve. CAKE FILLING: layer in Napoleon, "Drunken Cherry" cake, jelly-rolls. PIE FILLING: drain cherries (reserve juice for syrup), thicken juice with starch, fill pie crust. PASTRY DECORATION: top crepes, eclairs, cheesecakes. PANCAKE TOPPING: spoon onto bliny + sour cream. ICE CREAM SUNDAE: drizzle juice + spoon cherries. COCKTAIL BASE: muddle 5 cherries + 30 ml juice in glass, add vodka/rum. COMPOTE: dilute with water = drinkable berry compote. The MINIMAL-SUGAR version particularly good for: savory pairings (with cheese, paté), dessert components where sweetness controlled separately.
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