Peureux Griottines Morello Cherries in Kirsch - 5cl

Product Information

For the syrup, put the sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the kirsch, then leave to cool. The traditional European method for creating maraschino cherries is to preserve Marasca cherries in maraschino liqueur (think Luxardo Maraschino). Marasca is the type of cherry, and maraschino refers to the way it’s processed. However, in the U.S., the FDA’s relaxed guidelines allow other types of cherries to be used. These cherries are bleached, sweetened heavily, and then artificially dyed. I included two brands of “American Maraschino” cherries in this review just to be thorough.

St. Agrestis Amaro Soaked Cherries are first soaked in a syrup made with St. Agrestis Amaro, which is a Brooklyn-based amaro that is made with a blend of 20 herbs, spices, flowers, roots, seeds, and citrus. The cherries are soaked in this syrup for 12 weeks, which allows the amaro flavors to infuse into the cherries. The overall flavor of St. Agrestis Amaro Soaked Cherries is sweet, tart, and slightly herbal. The cherries have a deep red color and a slightly chewy texture. To make brandied cherries, you'll begin first by trimming the stem of cherries or removing them completely. Next, prepare a rich syrup with sugar and water. Simmer the cherries in the syrup for a few minutes, and then transfer them to a jar. Whisk the syrup with brandy, and then pour it over the cherries and seal the jar.

Griottines– This is perhaps the only exception to the previous paragraph: Griottines are France’s take on morello cherries, and they are preserved in actual Kirsch (cherry brandy). We reviewed a brand of Griottines many years ago but were unable to reach the company to request a fresh jar for this roundup. It’s also worth noting that traditionally Amarena cherries are a balance of sweet and tart flavors, whereas maraschinos are simply sweet. Rather than automatically assigning a flavor profile to a cherry based on standards of a style/variety, I assigned it based on actual taste. My taste is objective, so where you see an Amarena designated as sweet, understand that this means I feel it is not in line with the categorical flavor profile that it should represent. Maraschino– A highly loaded term. Maraschino refers to maraschino liqueur (which is itself made from marasca cherries), and maraschino cherries were originally cherries preserved in the liqueur. The name was widely co-opted, and you’ll see “maraschino” on all kinds of products, including upscale marasca cherries and the chemical-plumped hyper-red variety that are the staple of the dive bar. The term “maraschino cherry” effectively no longer has any meaning, but when a “maraschino cherry” is called for, the typical connotation is the supermarket variety.

Filthy Wild Italian Amarena Cherries have a sweet, tart, and slightly nutty flavour. They are made from wild sour cherries that are grown in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The cherries are first soaked in a syrup made with sugar, water, and natural flavours, and then they are candied and preserved in an Amaretto syrup for a nutty finish. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Whisk the crème fraîche with the eggs, milk and cold coffee until well combined. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Whisk just until a smooth batter is formed. Add the vegetable oil and whisk again to combine. Try substituting cherry juice for water. While not an authentic ingredient, it can amplify the flavor of your brandied cherries. Brandied cherries are boozy, sweetened fruits that you make by soaking fresh cherries in a combination of rich syrup and brandy. They taste richly sweet, delightfully alcoholic, and, like homemade root beer, are a hallmark of authentic, early American cookery.

The Grandes Distilleries Peureux produce Griottines

I also note the product weight, and understand that may not be the most useful data point since the syrup densities vary and some cherries are stemmed. If it were practical, I’d have broken it down to an average cost per cherry, but that seemed excessive. Cherries like the Amarena are nearly half the size of some of the larger Bing cherries I reviewed. Soaking fruit in sweetened alcohol was a popular way of preserving cherries, peaches, and other stone fruit before refrigeration and water bath canning became widespread. Making Brandied Cherries I kept with a simple 5-point scale. Consider a score of 1 to be equivalent to a low-quality, red-dyed, cherry. Many brands rank around a 3—these are not necessarily bad cherries, but they aren’t exceptional. Also, this rating scale does not factor in the price. If you want to price shop, use the chart and simply compare pricing.