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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Tart Cherry Cordial - Pie in a glass!

When I saw that this month's Kitchen Play contest was sponsored by the Cherry Marketing Institute, I thought that was pretty cool. From the time I was a little kid, cherries were one of my favorite foods.

Back in those days, my mom and I would walk to a vegetable truck to buy fresh produce in the summer. There were no farmer's markets in our area at the time, and no nearby farms, so that vegetable truck was our only alternative to the grocery store.

When cherries were in season, sometimes my mom would buy a quarter- or half-pound of cherries from the truck, and I'd nibble on them as we walked. Most of the time the bag was empty by the time we got home.

So of course I wanted to create a recipe with cherries.

The very first recipe on the menu was a tart cherry soup. Okay, I have tart cherries in the freezer. The recipe called for wine. Well, hmmmm ...

And it was served in a glass. Double hmmmm

Part of the deal with the Kitchen Play recipes is that we can adapt and revise recipes. I adapted that recipe all the way from tart cherry soup to a tart cherry beverage. Yes, another "infused booze."

Tart Cherry Pie Liqueur

1/2 pound sour pie cherries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Vodka, as needed

Put the cherries, sugar, and water into a 1-quart container. Top off with vodka to fill the container. Shake to combine and to dissolve the sugar.

Let the infusion steep for several weeks, shaking daily - or whenever you think of it.

After a minimum of two weeks - longer if you have time - strain the cherries out of the mixture, then strain the liquid through a coffee strainer to remove any small bits or sediment. Transfer to a container for storage.