Preserve the harvest · Sweet preserves 2 of 3
Homemade maraschino cherries
Store-bought maraschinos are bleached and dyed bright red. Homemade ones are deep ruby, taste like real cherries, and make every cocktail, sundae and cake look better.
Warda PatelDreamDrop Gardens, Plano TX4 min readUpdated November 2026
The recipe
Sweet · 2 of 3
Better than the jar
Homemade maraschino cherries
Store-bought maraschinos are bleached and dyed bright red. Homemade ones are deep ruby, taste like real cherries, and make every cocktail, sundae and cake look better.
- Makes
- About 1 pint
- Time
- 20 min + 2 days to soak
- Keeps
- 2–3 weeks in the fridge
Ingredients
- 1 lbsweet or sour cherries, stemmed and pitted (fresh or thawed frozen)
- 1 cupsugar
- ½ cupwater
- 2 Tbsplemon juice
- 1 pinchsalt
- ½ tspalmond extract, or ½ cup maraschino liqueur for the classic version
- Optional1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp vanilla
Method
Step 1: Make the syrup
Simmer the sugar, water, lemon juice and salt until the sugar dissolves.
Step 2: Warm the cherries
Add the cherries and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Don't boil hard, or they'll go soft.
Step 3: Flavor
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the almond extract or liqueur (and any spices).
Step 4: Jar and wait
Spoon the cherries into a clean jar and pour the syrup over to cover. Cool, then refrigerate. They're best after 2 days.
A note on safety
These recipes are made to be kept in the fridge or freezer. To store jars at room temperature, use a tested water-bath canning recipe, such as those from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and follow it exactly. Never keep garlic or herbs in oil at room temperature, use clean jars and dry spoons, and when in doubt, throw it out.