I think sour cherries are the only fruit that are really meant for spoon sweet or for a refreshing sour cherry cordial, rather than for eating just as they are.
That is what I was thinking as I wandered through the stalls at the farmers’ market looking for sour cherries.
They make their appearance in mid-June and remain available throughout July. Just like cherries, of course, the other favorite fruit for spoon sweet.
The only somewhat tedious job is removing the pits. If you decide to make a large quantity, it would be a good idea to find some help with this step. Otherwise, tell yourself that it is a kind of… psychotherapy, with the bonus of a delicious sweet treat at the end.
The old tried-and-true hairpin method helped me pit the sour cherries fairly easily and quickly, with the help of mama Zacharoula. The waiting time with the sugar was 24 hours, and it was the first time I did not use the water from rinsing the pits in the sweet. The lady at the Amarousio farmers’ market practically forbade me to add water. She insisted that the fruit itself contains enough liquid and does not need anything extra. I followed her advice and indeed it turned out wonderful. The syrup needed a little less time to set, and nowhere was there any… absence of pit water.
I hope you make this sour cherry spoon sweet and enjoy it with ice cream, with yogurt, or simply on its own. Have a wonderful summer!
Ingredients for Sour Cherry Spoon Sweet
- 1 kg sour cherries, net weight (pitted)
- 1 kg sugar
- juice of half a lemon
With the Foodurismo automatic ingredient converter, easily see how many grams or ml correspond to each cup. Try it here!
Instructions
Remove the stems from the sour cherries and wash them well with water.
Using a hairpin or a small metal paper clip, carefully remove the pits so the fruit does not get crushed.
In a large pot, sprinkle in a little of the sugar, just enough to cover the bottom.
Then add some sour cherries, cover them with sugar, then more sour cherries and more sugar. In other words, make layers.
Next, cover the pot with the lid and leave it for at least 12 hours. You can also leave it for 24. What we want is for the sugar to dissolve in the juices of the fruit.
Once the desired hours have passed, place the pot over medium to medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. When you see the fruit start to boil and foam, lower the heat and remove the foam with a spoon.
Let the spoon sweet boil without the lid for about 20 to 30 minutes. I boiled this particular batch for 22 minutes.
Therefore, the timing cannot be absolutely exact because it depends on how ripe the fruit is and how much liquid it contains.
So, the sign that the sweet is ready is to test the thickness of the syrup.
How to Properly Set the Syrup
Drop one boiling drop onto a plate and let it cool. Two minutes later, check whether it runs slowly or quickly. If it runs quickly, it means the sweet needs more boiling because the syrup still needs to set.
When the drop runs slowly, or when you drip it onto your thumbnail and it stays in place, then the sweet is ready.
Add the lemon juice, shake the pot gently or stir the sweet carefully with a wooden spoon.
Transfer the sweet into sterilized jars and store it in the cupboard.
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