Cocktail Cherries
Why This Recipe Works: The garishly bright-red cherries that garnish everything from ice cream sundaes and fruitcakes to baked hams and cocktails are a far cry from the original maraschino cherry. To make these ersatz maraschinos, sweet cherries are bleached using sulfur dioxide and calcium chloride, then soaked in artificially flavored and dyed sugar syrup. We wanted true maraschinos rather than these chemical bombs.Maraschinos originated in Croatia in the 19th century, when Marasca cherries were preserved in liqueur. This tradition has been preserved most famously (and literally) in Luxardo’s Original Maraschino Cherries—rich sour cherries in a velvety syrup—but at over $20 for 14 ounces, we wanted another option: a cost-effective homemade version of luxurious cocktail cherries
