Yield: about 1 quart 1 1/2 pounds red cherries, with pits, no stems
1 1/2 cups sugar, (up to 2 cups), sweeten to taste
2 1/2 cups vodka
1 cup brandy
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.