6 Best Recipes for Preserving Cherries in Their Own Juice for the Winter

Cherries are rich in organic acids and tannins, vitamins, and minerals. Eating fresh cherries strengthens capillaries, accelerates metabolism, increases hemoglobin levels, and reduces blood clotting. Cherries are preserved in their own juice to preserve their rich composition. The berries make flavorful jams and preserves, but after cooking, some of the vitamins evaporate, leaving fewer beneficial nutrients in the dessert.

The benefits of preserving cherries in their own juice

Sweet and sour berries are used to fill pies, dumplings, and muffins, and to decorate cakes and pastries. To preserve the aromatic appearance of fresh cherries after processing and to maximize the vitamins and minerals, they are preserved in their own juice. This preserves the fruit's vibrant color and natural flavor for a long time.

Tips and tricks for preserving ripe berries

For long-term storage, cherries that are not overripe, but not green, are best sealed; otherwise, the jar may explode. Wash the berries under running water and remove the pits. If a small number of worms appear, soak them in salt water for no more than an hour, rinse under the tap, and remove the pits.

The prepared cherries are placed in a container and sterilized for 20 minutes, without adding water, as they release a lot of juice. Sugar is usually omitted; the preserves keep well as is.

Berries with seeds are also sealed, since removing them takes a lot of time.

These cherries look attractive and have an almond flavor, but they should be consumed within 4-5 months, not stored in a jar for a year. The toxic hydrocyanic acid present in the seeds begins to release and can cause poisoning.

The best recipes for cherries in juice

Each homemaker decides for herself whether to preserve berries with or without seeds. The decision is influenced by available time and the intended use of the preserves—for compote or as a filling for baked goods.

Classic version of the preparation with a bone

Many women preserve cherries in juice using the traditional method, which allows them to spend little time in the kitchen and uses only two ingredients: 1 kg of berries and 3 tablespoons of sugar.

The cherries are sorted, checked for worms, and, if all is well, washed under the tap. The clean cherries are tightly packed into a glass jar, sprinkled with sugar and topped with sugar. The jar is covered, placed in a saucepan filled with water, heated to 100°C, sterilized for 15 minutes, then sealed and wrapped in a blanket or terry towel.

Let's prepare a delicious seedless treat

Women who often delight their families with pies and vareniki, use the juice to decorate ice cream, season cocktails, and preserve pitted cherries. To preserve 900 g of berries, add 250 g of sugar, place them in a jar, layering them, and sterilize in a bowl of boiling water for 20–25 minutes.

Prolonged heating kills microbes, but the flavor and composition of the cherries remain unchanged. For winter, it's best to make this dessert pitted.

Sugar-free sterilized preparation

Berries preserved for the winter are safe for diabetics, overweight people, and those trying to lose weight. The berries are washed, peeled, placed in a jar, carefully compacted, and filled to the top with the juice released when removing the seeds. The jar is placed in a bowl filled with water and sterilized for fifteen minutes. The preserved fruit keeps just as well as if a preservative had been added.

Recipe "Five-Minute with Sugar"

Cherry jam has a wonderful aroma and beautiful color. Even with brief heat treatment, this vitamin-rich product retains its healing properties.

To prepare the treat:

1. The berries are washed and the seeds are removed.
2. Transfer to an enamel bowl and combine with sugar.
3. After a quarter of an hour, place the bowl with cherries on the stove and boil the vitamin-rich mixture for 5 minutes.
4. Disinfect jars and lids by sterilization.
5. The berry mixture is cooled twice for half an hour and boiled for 5 minutes each time.

To prepare jam, which is packaged hot in sterile containers, take equal amounts of sugar and cherries - 5 kg each.

To give the dessert a thick consistency, boil the seedless berries three times for 5 minutes, leave them to steep for 12 hours each time, and use 500 g more sugar.

Canned "Drunken Cherry"

To prepare a fragrant low-alcohol dessert that can be added to homemade baked goods and gives a cake or pastry a unique flavor, you will need:

• 0.7 kg sugar;
• 1 glass of liqueur or cognac;
• 300 ml of water;
• 1000 g cherries;
• 4-5 pcs. cinnamon.

Wash the berries and pierce them on both sides with a toothpick. Pour water into a bowl, add sugar, and heat until the crystals dissolve. Add the vitamin-rich mixture to the boiling syrup and simmer for 10 minutes. Then, remove the berries and place them in a sterile container. Combine the sweet liquid with the liqueur and fill the jar with the cherries. Seal the dessert while the mixture is still warm.

Method of preparation without sterilization

To preserve maximum flavor and healing properties, the berries are not subjected to heat treatment, which destroys vitamins and enzymes.

To prepare dessert without sterilization:

1. The pits are removed from one and a half kilograms of cherries.
2. The fruits are placed in a saucepan and layered with sugar, of which at least 450 g should be used to prevent the product from souring during long-term storage.
3. Place the container with cherries on the fire and remove from heat when it boils.

Pour the hot mixture into a sterile container, seal, and wrap in a blanket. When cooling, it's recommended to refrigerate the dessert.

Storage conditions and periods

If you seal the berries without the seeds and sterilize them for at least 10 minutes, there's no need to store the jars in a cellar. A treat prepared this way will keep for more than 12 months at room temperature, and if you add sugar, it can be stored for up to 2 years. Unsterilized berry desserts should be refrigerated.