The cherries come out of the brine tasting both tart and sweet, like an amplified version of the fresh fruit we love so much. As for what to do with them, I had a sheet of leftover puff pastry dough, which I cut into rounds and formed into cups. Filled with goat cheese and topped with chopped pickled cherries, they made for an unusually delicious appetizer. I think they’d also be stellar tossed in a salad or thinly sliced on a juicy burger.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups white vinegar
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
black peppercorns (4 to 5 per half-pint jar)
bay leaves (one per jar)
2 pounds Rainier sweet cherries with stems
Directions:
Prepare canner and wash/sterilize 4 to 5 half-pint mason (or equivalent) jars. Keep jars in hot (not boiling) water until ready to use. Warm lids in hot (not boiling) water to sterilize and soften seal.
Combine vinegar, sugar, water, and spices in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Remove hot jars from canner and pack cherries into jars. Pour hot brine over cherries to within 1/2-inch of rim. Wipe jar rims and threads. Screw on lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (for half-pint jars, process 15 minutes for larger pint jars). Remove from water and let cool completely, 12 to 24 hours. Check seals. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks.
Photo and recipe shared from: http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/07/pickled-sweet-cherries.html
