
A historical preserve from The White House cook book; a comprehensive cyclopedia of information for the home .. (1913). Use a sharp quill to open the cherries when stoning them. Save all the juice that comes from the cherries during the stoning process.
Preserved exactly as written in the original source
Weigh the cherries and to each pound allow a pound of loaf sugar
Stone the cherries (opening them with a sharp quill) and save the juice that comes from them in the process
As you stone them, throw them into a large pan or tureen and strew about half the sugar over them and let them lie in it an hour or two after they are all stoned
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Put them into a preserving kettle with the remainder of the sugar and boil and skim them till the fruit is clear and the syrup thick
Modern guidance to help you succeed with this vintage recipe
The 1:1 ratio of sugar to cherries creates a supersaturated syrup that preserves the fruit through osmosis, drawing out moisture while preventing microbial growth. Piercing cherries with a quill rather than cutting maintains their structure by creating minimal tissue damage, allowing them to absorb syrup evenly without becoming mushy. The two-stage sugar addition (maceration followed by cooking) gradually dehydrates the fruit, preventing collapse while developing a thick, stable syrup that reaches the proper gel point.
The maceration step (cherries with half the sugar) can be extended up to 4 hours in the refrigerator, which further draws out juice and intensifies flavor. However, do not exceed 4 hours or the fruit may become too soft.
Once cooled, transfer to sterilized jars and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for shelf-stable storage up to 1 year. Alternatively, store in clean jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 3 weeks. The cherries and syrup can be served over ice cream, stirred into yogurt, or used as a cake filling.
AI-generated tips from Chef Cecil's culinary database
The maceration step (cherries with half the sugar) can be extended up to 4 hours in the refrigerator, which further draws out juice and intensifies flavor. However, do not exceed 4 hours or the fruit may become too soft.
Once cooled, transfer to sterilized jars and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for shelf-stable storage up to 1 year. Alternatively, store in clean jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 3 weeks. The cherries and syrup can be served over ice cream, stirred into yogurt, or used as a cake filling.