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)