Cocktail Cherries

• 4 c sour cherries, stemmed, whether or not to pit is your choice
• 1 1/2 c sugar, divided
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 3/4 c water
• 1 / 4 c bourbon

Mix cherries, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla bean with seeds in a medium bowl.

Let macerate 4 hours to really extract all the juices. Discard vanilla bean.

Strain the sugary juice. In a medium saucepan stir together cherry juice, remaining sugar, water and bourbon.

Cook over medium-low heat until sugar is completely dissolved.

Bring to a slow boil, boil for 5-8 minutes, you're trying to make a syrup.

Add cherries and bring back to bubbling, cook an additional 2-3 minutes until cherries are heated through.

Using a slotted spoon, ladle cherries into half-pint jars.

Cherries should be packed tightly but not crammed.

Cover cherries with syrup leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath.

(Makes about 3 half-pint jars)