Pickled Cherries
Photography by Aaron McLean.
This is the perfect accompaniment to Christmas ham or turkey, or serve it alongside other cold meats, terrines or rillette.
INGREDIENTS
500 grams cherries with stalks attached
Syrup
1½ cups balsamic vinegar
¾ cup water
1 cup sugar
3 wide strips orange peel
1 bay leaf
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
12 black peppercorns
4 cup capacity sterilized glass jar
METHOD
Put the vinegar, water and the sugar in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the remaining syrup ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
Prick each cherry several times with a sharp skewer. This allows the flavours to penetrate the cherry flesh. Put the cherries in the prepared jar and pour over the hot syrup. Cool then store, covered in the refrigerator. The cherries will keep for several weeks.
To sterilise bottles and jars: Put jars or bottles and their lids through a hot cycle of the dishwasher. Alternatively, wash in hot soapy water and rinse well. Place them on an oven tray in a cold oven. Turn the heat to 120°C and leave for 30 minutes.

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