Post #415401 by Kahuna Kent on Sat, Oct 25, 2008 4:57 PM

Luxardo Maraschino is the important ingredient in making homemade maraschino cherries. Once you try these, you'll never go back to the red dye things:

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 oz lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick (smash it up into 1/2" pieces)
1/3 cup water

Bring to boil in a large saucepan (we want lots of shallow surface area) Then reduce heat to medium

Add 2 lbs washed cherries (you can remove the pits if you want - I like to keep them "natural")

Simmer 5 minutes to release the cherry flavor into the "soup"

Add 6 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1 oz Cognac

Heat on low, stirring the concoction for another 5 or 6 minutes

Remove from heat.

Stir in 1 oz Orgeat.

Allow to cool - put a jar - then into the fridge

The cherries make an awesome addition to your favorite cocktails - and the "Maraschino Cherry" juice is delicious - (but powerfully strong flavor - especially if you use Luxardo - use this sparingly)- try 1/4 oz - 1/2 oz in your favorite "zombie" recipe to make a "Blood Zombie" for Halloween!