Skip to main content
Drink

Pickled Cherries

A preserve of cherries soaked in a sweet and vinegary syrup.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Gibson, Marietta Fauntleroy Hollyday, "Mrs. C. H. Gibson." · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 3 ingredients
Jump to recipe ↓

Why it works: Cider and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,431 recipes. Both carry 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, which smells smoky, clove. The science ↓

Pickled Cherries

Ingredients

Directions

  1. For every pound of cherries, add half pound of loaf sugar, half pint of cider vinegar, half ounce of powdered cinnamon, whole cloves, allspice, and a few blades of mace.

  2. Put the cherries in a jar.

  3. Boil the other ingredients in the vinegar for five minutes, and when boiling, pour the liquor over the fruit.

  4. Cover closely for a week.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

52Calories
0 gProtein
0 gFat
13 gCarbs

Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 2 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Cidernot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Gibson, Marietta Fauntleroy Hollyday, "Mrs. C. H. Gibson.". Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cider + vinegartop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,431 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).

  2. Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together20,806 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  3. Sugar + cidertop 27% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together3,308 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cherries (in the method)
The fruit is the main body of the pickle, taking on the sugar, vinegar and spice flavours over time.
Loaf sugar
Adds sweetness that balances the sharp vinegar and helps preserve the fruit.
Cider vinegar
Provides acidity that sharpens the flavour and helps preserve the fruit.
Cinnamon (in the method)
Adds warm aroma to the syrup and the fruit.

The step that matters

Pouring the boiling liquor over the fruit. The liquor must be pouring hot, as the sugar and vinegar are then fully dissolved and the spices are well extracted. Hot liquid also warms the fruit, helping the flavours penetrate it.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

More pickled cherries recipes

Sweet 6 See all 86 →

You might also like

Raspberry VinegarRaspberry Vinegar214 recipesSugar VinegarSugar Vinegar20 recipesApple CiderApple Cider11 recipesVegetable SoupVegetable Soup350 recipes