Homemade Luxardo Cherry Recipe
This easy Luxardo cherry recipe lets you make rich, spiced cherries at home that are perfect for classic cocktails like Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. Infused with warm spices and Luxardo maraschino liqueur, these cherries also taste amazing spooned over ice cream or enjoyed straight from the jar.
Equipment
- Cherry Pitter
- Mason Jar Quart sized
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherries pitted, divided
- ⅛ cup white sugar
- water enough to make it .5 cup of liquid with the cherry juice
- ½ cup raw sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 whole star anise or all spice
- 1 cup luxardo maraschino liqueur
Instructions
- Make Cherry Juice: in a small bowl, mash ½ cup of the pitted cherries using the back of a fork or a potato masher. Sprinkle with ⅛ cup white sugar and let sit for 15 minutes to help release the juice. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the mashed cherries. Add enough water to the juice to make ½ cup liquid total.
- Make the Syrup: in a medium saucepan, combine the cherry juice + water mixture, ½ cup raw sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Let it simmer gently for 5 minutes to thicken slightly into a syrup.
- Add Liqueur and Cherries: stir in the luxardo maraschino liqueur. Add the remaining pitted cherries and gently stir to ensure they are all fully coated in the syrup. Keep on a low simmer for 5-10 minutes, cooking for 5 minutes if you prefer firmer cherries and 10 minutes if you prefer a softer cherries.
- Cool and Store: remove from heat. Carefully transfer the cherries and syrup to a clean quart-sized mason jar.You may remove the whole spices now, or leave them in to continue infusing.Let the cherries cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using.