Most people don't think of fermenting fruit (but the flavor is funky and savory and fun). And when it comes to fermented cherries that salty, tangy flavor is like the love child of a maraschino cherry and an olive — which is probably why one of our favorite uses is plunked into a cocktail.
Fermenting fruit can be tricky because of the high sugar content (which wants to turn into alcohol) and pitting the cherries means there is extra exposure so the initial fermentation is super short (just 1-2 days), before you move it to the fridge to slow everything down. You can try a couple right away, but the flavor is best after a week of melding in the fridge.
If you’re looking for something sweet: make pie. But if you want to take a walk on the savory side these fermented cherries are excellent on a cheese board, as a tangy pizza topping (think white pies) and as a fun twist on a cocktail garnish.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of cherries
- 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 cups water
Directions
De-stem, halve and pit cherries, discarding any damaged or overripe fruit.
Toss cherries and salt to coat. Transfer to fermentation jar.
Add fermentation weight and pour in water just to cover, cherries should be fully submerged. Questions about fermentation weights? Check out our Fermentation Weight Guide.
Top with lid and airlock (Need help? Check out our How to Assemble Airlock Video). Let ferment at room temperature for 1-2 days. Transfer to refrigerator. We find the flavor is best after 1 week melding in the fridge.
4.1 · 22 ratings
Rate this recipe
