How to Make Brandied Cherries

Legend has it that George Washington as a boy cut down a cherry tree. When his father saw the tree, he was angry. "George," he said. "Did you do that?"

"Yes, Father," he said, “I cannot tell a lie." George Washington's father was proud of George for telling the truth.

The cherry is a stone fruit related to the plum. There are three types of cherry – sweet and sour; both used in cooking and preserves; and decorative cherries, grown for their flowers.

Cherry trees flourish in regions with cold climates. The tree can reach about six metres at maturity. Its fruit is borne in clusters on long stalks.

This is a recipe for an easy-to-make cherry preserve:

Ingredients

·         500g ripe sweet cherries

·         150g caster sugar

·         Liqueur brandy (enough to cover the cherries in a jar)

·         Vanilla pod (Vanilla pods contain the seeds from the vanilla orchid plant.)

·         Cinnamon stick

Preparation

1.       Wash the cherries and dry gently

2.       Place into clean sterilized jar and add the caster sugar, vanilla pod and cinnamon stick.

3.       Seal tightly and leave to steep for 5-6 weeks.

Enjoy neat or over ice cream.

Hendrik DB de Villiers

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