True Maraschino cherries

In part of my adventures in mixology, I discovered that Maraschino cherries are somewhat of a necessity in old fashioned cocktails (including the Old-Fashioned).  But I was horrified to discover that those gross, bright red cherries which we call Maraschino cherries and put on sundaes for children are actually first treated to leach out all of the color, then soaked in dyes and sugar to put back whatever artificial qualities the manufacturers want.  The FDA even got a hand in this definition!  Here is the 'official' FDA modern Maraschino cherry definition:

"The term "Maraschino Cherries" is regarded as the common or usual name of an article consisting of cherries which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup [sic] flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor."

Did you know that before chemists got a hold of this once delicious product, that Maraschino cherries were made by soaking them in a delicious liqueur named - gasp - Maraschino?!  Yup, there's a liqueur out there made with Marasca cherries and cherry pits, with a delicious nutty, fruity flavor, which used to be the sole way of making these bad boys.  And I highly recommend you try this out, stop eating once-whitened bright red cherries, and upgrade the quality of your drinks to impress your guests.  Because trust me, these will.

True Maraschino cherries - well worth the effort, mostly in finding Maraschino liqueur

True Maraschino Cherries
from Bill Norris of Fino Austin

• 1 pound sweet cherries (I used Rainier, but you should use Bing)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup Maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo

Okay, you probably looked at this, and thought - what the heck is Maraschino?  Well, here it is:

Luxardo, the original Maraschino liqueur

Go looking for it, and you will hopefully find it hiding in an upscale liquor store.  Once you've got it, wash and pit the cherries.  Invest in some form of cherry pitter, such as this guy:

Pit your cherries.  Keep the stems on if you like.

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients besides the cherries and the liqueur.  Bring all to a rolling boil.  When the liquid begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer the cherries in the liquid for 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the heat, adding the liqueur (so as not to boil off the alcohol), stir, and let cool slightly.  Once cooled, transfer cherries and liquid to a clean jar and refrigerate, uncovered, until cool to the touch.  Now cap and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.