Fresh Cherry Drink
This is the recipe adapted from the Cherry Soup recipe created by Ullenka the Fruit Queen on Instagram. this is the perfect recipe to create while cherries are in season. My version can be described as warm and cozy and lends itself to a cool night with a campfire or to cooler fall months. If you are skilled at canning you can totally just can this. I, however, am not so while I did put my beverage into mason jars and tops that have been sterilized, I put them in the refrigerator to use during the week. I don’t care for it cold but suspect creating it without the cinnamon or nutmeg might remedy that. The rest I put in containers and in the freezer where it should keep for a few months, no problem
You know I am a huge fan of creating your own experience and this is no exception. Play around with your favorite flavors and create your own version. This is mine:
About 3lbs of cherries (you can pit them if you have the patience. I don’t!)
Distilled or Spring Water
One large orange or Two Small
A chunk of peeled fresh ginger
1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons of almond extract
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Sweetner (I used 1/2 honey 1/2 unrefined sugar but agave or Stevia will work if that’s your preference)
I put everything in a soup pot and made sure the water came about an inch over the cherries.
Bring it to just the boiling point (not a heavy boil) cover and then put the top on and let keep it at a soft boil for about 20. If you don’t have the top on you will loose a lot of liquid. If it just simmers you won’t get the full flavor.
I just kept tasting it until it got to the flavor I liked. I did take out the lemon 1/2 through the process because I didn’t want any more lemon flavor than it was by that time.
When I put it in jars I did put the cherries in with it to keep getting whatever flavor from them might be left but honestly they really have no real taste by then but you could still eat them if you preferred.
Ullenka made hers as a soup to eat with a spoon. I would rather put even broth in a mug and drink instead of the spoon thing. For me to like it as a soup I would have to add something like coconuts, mandarin orange slices, maybe even a nut of some sort. In other words, I would need more texture for me to consider it a soup.
And that’s it!
Sorry if you want more detail then that but I totally serious that anyone can do this and make it their own version! If you try it let me know!! I want to know if you changed it or made it as is! Also check out Ullenka on her Instagram, she does amazing things with fruit!