Home > Worldwide Recipes > Russia > Salted and Pickled > Spiced Pickled Cherries
Vishnya Marinovannaya
Spiced Pickled Cherries
Vishnya Marinovannaya
When Peter the Great returned from Holland intent upon westernising his nation, he introduced many innovations, one of which was the practice of serving pickled fruits with meat. Although not all of Peter's measures met with equal delight among the populace, luckily for culinary posterity the Russians took readily to the idea of eating pickled fruits. These cherries provide a lively accompaniment to roast meat or chicken.
Ingredients
Makes about 3 pints (1.7 litres)
2 lb (900 g) sweet cherries
1½ pints (900 ml) cider vinegar
12 oz (340 g) sugar
½ pint (300 ml) water
4 tablespoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy)
½ stick cinnamon
4 allspice berries
4 whole cardamom pods, peeled
¼ teaspoon mace
Method
Wash the cherries and remove the stems, but do not stone them. Place them in a crock and cover them with the vinegar. Leave them to stand overnight, then drain them, pouring the vinegar into a saucepan.
Boil the vinegar up with the sugar, water, mace, cinnamon, allspice and cardamom. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool, then stir in the kirsch. Pour the pickling liquid over the cherries and let stand for 3 days.
After 3 days, drain the cherries and boil up the liquid once again. Allow it to cool and then pack the cherries into sterilised preserving jars. Pour the pickling liquid over them and seal the jars. Let sit 1 month before using.
Related food category:
