Tart Cherries?

[BernardSmith]

I am looking for some tart (or sour) cherries to make a Portuguese wine/liqueur that our son brought back from a visit to that country. I found a recipe that for about a liter of what is known as Ginjinha, I need 2 cups of red wine, 1 cup of vodka, a half-pound of tart cherries, 2 lbs of brown sugar, 4 sticks of cinnamon and perhaps 4 cloves. But try as I might, I have not found any tart cherries , frozen, in cans, or fresh. What do people use when they make a cherry pie? Any help would be appreciated, because this liqueur or fortified wine is delightful - and commercially, the bottle I received came with some chocolate "cups" into which one poured the cherry liqueur ... Wow.

 

[Rice_Guy]

When making pie, I use frozen tart cherries. Mom making a pie usually bought frozen 15 pound or 30 pound metal tins of cherry and sugar. The readily available cherry pie filling is a tart pie cherry in a sugar sweetened chemically stabilized waxy starch. This product could be shipped anyplace in the world, BUT with the high sugar content really isn’t a good example of cherry flavor.

There is pure cherry juice which is produced. This version suggests keep it refrigerated so would be hard to ship. There should be a shelf stable version since there is shelf stable canned cherry available. In the US I can buy cherry juice in a 1000 pound skid. This is an ingredient in some frozen juice blends.

 

[rmoskun]

I am looking for some tart (or sour) cherries to make a Portuguese wine/liqueur that our son brought back from a visit to that country. I found a recipe that for about a liter of what is known as Ginjinha, I need 2 cups of red wine, 1 cup of vodka, a half-pound of tart cherries, 2 lbs of brown sugar, 4 sticks of cinnamon and perhaps 4 cloves. But try as I might, I have not found any tart cherries , frozen, in cans, or fresh. What do people use when they make a cherry pie? Any help would be appreciated, because this liqueur or fortified wine is delightful - and commercially, the bottle I received came with some chocolate "cups" into which one poured the cherry liqueur ... Wow.

Hi, I use Montmorency Red Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate, price was $23.00 quart, makes a gallon
https://colomafrozen.com/shop/tart-cherry-industrial-product

Good luck

 

[ChuckD]

Hi, I use Montmorency Red Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate, price was $23.00 quart, makes a gallon
https://colomafrozen.com/shop/tart-cherry-industrial-product

Good luck

Is this product clear or does it have solids? I was wondering if it could be used prior to bottling my cherry wine (made from fresh cherries) to enhance the flavor.

 

[rmoskun]

Is this product clear or does it have solids? I was wondering if it could be used prior to bottling my cherry wine (made from fresh cherries) to enhance the flavor.

no real solids, very thick,, 1 quart makes a gallon of juice.

 

[ChuckD]

no real solids, very thick,, 1 quart makes a gallon of juice.

Thanks. I’ll probably cut it with water by 50% and do some bench trials. I have about 12 gallons to bottle. I’ll split the batch because I like off dry and my SIL likes her wine syrupy sweet

 

[BernardSmith]

When making pie, I use frozen tart cherries. Mom making a pie usually bought frozen 15 pound or 30 pound metal tins of cherry and sugar. The readily available cherry pie filling is a tart pie cherry in a sugar sweetened chemically stabilized waxy starch. This product could be shipped anyplace in the world, BUT with the high sugar content really isn’t a good example of cherry flavor.
View attachment 119338
There is pure cherry juice which is produced. This version suggests keep it refrigerated so would be hard to ship. There should be a shelf stable version since there is shelf stable canned cherry available. In the US I can buy cherry juice in a 1000 pound skid. This is an ingredient in some frozen juice blends.
View attachment 119340

Have never seen either product sold locally, here (upstate NY) but I will look for the canned version. Thanks

 

[BernardSmith]

Hi, I use Montmorency Red Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate, price was $23.00 quart, makes a gallon
https://colomafrozen.com/shop/tart-cherry-industrial-product

Good luck

Thanks for this suggestion. This is for a liqueur , so the volume is a little large but if all else fails, I have your suggestion.

 

[franc1969]

I am looking for some tart (or sour) cherries to make a Portuguese wine/liqueur that our son brought back from a visit to that country. I found a recipe that for about a liter of what is known as Ginjinha, I need 2 cups of red wine, 1 cup of vodka, a half-pound of tart cherries, 2 lbs of brown sugar, 4 sticks of cinnamon and perhaps 4 cloves. But try as I might, I have not found any tart cherries , frozen, in cans, or fresh. What do people use when they make a cherry pie? Any help would be appreciated, because this liqueur or fortified wine is delightful - and commercially, the bottle I received came with some chocolate "cups" into which one poured the cherry liqueur ... Wow.

Lidl sells jars of cherries in fluid, probably sugar syrup. Not very thick, only sold when cherry pie is expected for holidays. I have used them to add to liqueurs and wines. Mostly for wines I have used a tart cherry concentrate like shown above, or if there is a way to get them, fresh/frozen whole fruit.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Hi, I use Montmorency Red Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate, price was $23.00 quart, makes a gallon
https://colomafrozen.com/shop/tart-cherry-industrial-product

Good luck

They sell it by the pint too...

https://colomafrozen.com/shop/tart-cherry-juice-concentrate-1-bottle-pint

I haven't bought it myself but I have used their grape juice concentrate. I recommend ordering it during the colder months of the year since despite the company name it doesn't arrive frozen...