Homemade Maraschino Cocktail Cherries from Hetal Vasavada

Maraschino cherries aren't just for the cocktails you get at a bar; they're easy to make and store at home. They’re made with Maraschino liqueur and a simple syrup that is spiced with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pitting a pound of cherries can take a while though. Whether using a knife of the chopstick method, it's messy and inefficient. Enter the Quick-Release Multi Cherry Pitter that lets you pit up to six cherries at once. Plus the fruit falls into the bowl while the pit tray catches up to 75 pits.

How to Make Maraschino Cherries

1. Pit 2 cups of cherries.
2. Bring 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 vanilla bean (scraped), 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice to a simmer.
3. Add pitted cherries and 2/3 cup Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur.
4. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add cherries and liquid to a sterilized jar. Close and cool.

Hetal enjoys the cherries in a spritzer or Old Fashioned(Opens in a new window). The cherries do contain a small amount of alcohol so they're not for kids.

With other summer fruits and veggies on hand, check out our must-have tools for prepping produce.