Cherry spoon sweet

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5 from 1 vote

A classic Greek dessert that is sweet and simple; a perfect way to sweeten your day!

Prep Time2 30

Resting time1

Total Time1 2 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: small jars

Calories: 1371kcal

Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

Ingredients

6 lbs cherries
8 cups granulated white sugar, approximately
1 cup water
juice of one lemon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Remove the stems from your cherries and discard the stems.
6 lbs cherries
Rinse your cherries well, allowing them to drain in a colander.
Prepare to pit your cherries. Place a handful of cherries at a time on a deep rimmed baking tray. Remove the pits carefully, allowing them to collect on the baking tray. Place your pitted cherries in a large bowl.
Once you have removed the pits from all of your cherries you will see that you have quite a bit of cherry juice on your baking tray, along with the pits (Remember, the cherries themselves have been placed in a bowl). Add one cup of water to the baking tray and using your hand, move the pits around to release any additional juice that is on them, and to loosen any bit of cherry stuck to the pits.
1 cup water
Pour the contents of the baking tray through a sieve set over a large bowl. Reserve the liquid which collects in the bowl and discard the pits which remain in the sieve. Pour the liquid into a large pot.
Now it is time to add the cherries and the sugar to the large pot. You will be adding 2 parts cherries to 1 part sugar. The easiest way to do this is to find two of the same medium sized bowls (like large soup bowls). Fill one of the bowls twice with cherries, adding the fruit to the large pot. Then, fill the other bowl with sugar (only once) and pour this over the cherries. Repeat with the remaining cherries. For 6 pounds of cherries you will use approximately 8 cups of sugar.
8 cups granulated white sugar, approximately
Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 10 minutes over medium heat. Carefully remove the foam which begins to collect on the surface of the cherry and sugar mixture. After 10 minutes, using a slotted spoon, remove the cherries carefully from the liquid and place the cherries in a colander set over a large bowl.
Boil the liquid which is still in the pot for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the juice of one lemon to the liquid and return to a boil. Boil over medium heat for 15 more minutes (20 minutes total for this step). Return the cherries to the pot along with any liquid which drained off of the cherries while they were in the sieve.
juice of one lemon
Return to a boil over medium heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the cherries for a second time and set them in the strainer.
Boil the liquid in the pot for another 10 minutes. Return the cherries and any liquid in the bowl to the pot and boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. For the third and final time, remove the cherries and place them in the sieve.
Bring the liquid to a boil for 5 minutes. Return the cherries and any liquid which has collected in the bowl and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
When the mixture in the pot has cooled, cover the pot with clean paper towels and place the lid on the pot. Set aside for 24 hours at room temperature. You should check your paper towels a few times during the 24 hours and replace them if they become moist.
After 24 hours it is time to finish your cherry spoon sweet. Take some of the sauce out of the pot and pour it onto a small plate. Move your plate around to see how thick the sauce is; it should be thick enough that it drips very slowly across the plate. If the sauce is too thin, you will have to remove the cherries and add about 1/2 cup of sugar at a time to the liquid in the pot and boil it for 5 – 10 minutes, or until the liquid thickens up. At that point you return the cherries. Bring the cherry and sauce to a boil for 5 – 10 minutes. (Note, if your liquid was the right consistency to begin with, simply boil the liquid and cherries for 5 – 10 minutes).
While your cherries are cooking, prepare your jars for canning. Wash your jars and screw band tops very well in hot soapy water. Set aside to dry.
Carefully pour the hot cherry spoon sweet into your clean jars, leaving about 1/2 inch space from the top of the jar. Place the flat disc on the jars and secure with the screw top ring. Place your filled jars in a large pot of water and process them by bringing the water to a boil and boiling your jars for 15 minutes. Remove from the water and allow the jars to sit, untouched for several hours, until completely cooled.
This cherry spoon sweet is best if left to sit for several weeks. Once your jar is opened, keep it in the refrigerator, where it will remain fresh for several weeks.
Enjoy!

Notes

Note: Nutritional information is per jar.

Nutrition