I know Peg Haine makes them and I'm hoping for an answer from her.
Any of you do them, too? A friend is asking me about a friend of *hers*
who does them this way:

"My canning question is this: a friend said he puts up cherries by
taking washed bing cherries, stems attached, adding the raw cherries to
a jar, fill w/a mix of 50% simple syrup and 50% brandy. Cap and let
sit until Christmas. He says they're intoxicatingly good.

I figure you've probably seen this recipe on rec.food.canning, so Id
ask you first. I suspect the food scientists might have fits over
potential botulism though there is *all* that brandy. All my home ec
friends have been laid off/retired from Extension."


BBB adds lemon juice and does a hot-pack processing for 10 minutes in a
BWB.

Any comments?
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 7/4/04.

in article , Melba's
Jammin' at wrote on 12/7/04 8:14 AM:

> I know Peg Haine makes them and I'm hoping for an answer from her.
> Any of you do them, too? A friend is asking me about a friend of *hers*
> who does them this way:
>
> "My canning question is this: a friend said he puts up cherries by
> taking washed bing cherries, stems attached, adding the raw cherries to
> a jar, fill w/a mix of 50% simple syrup and 50% brandy. Cap and let
> sit until Christmas. He says they're intoxicatingly good.
>
> I figure you've probably seen this recipe on rec.food.canning, so Id
> ask you first. I suspect the food scientists might have fits over
> potential botulism though there is *all* that brandy. All my home ec
> friends have been laid off/retired from Extension."
>
>
> BBB adds lemon juice and does a hot-pack processing for 10 minutes in a
> BWB.
>
> Any comments?
I don't think that you need worry about botulism. Think about rum pots,
they do sit, un processed by heat, but with all that alcohol, you are pretty
safe. It is true that simple syrup is half and half water and sugar, but
with equal parts of brandy, what is going to grow.
Ellen
--

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> Have you paid attention to my words about cooking apricots for apricot
> butter? You should. If you make peach butter, add the booze at or near
> the end.

Most assuredly, Mother Superior. But thanks for the reminder. Blond hair
(and gettin' blonder every year) leaks important nutrients from the brains
to the air.
Edrena

but aren't these brandied cherries just a version of Rumtopf??? so,
is that not safe?

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 01:19:34 -0700, "Deb" > wrote:

>
>"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
>> Pennyaline wrote:
>> >
>> > Also, the presence of grain alcohol in brandied cherries is not
>sufficient
>> > to stop the growth of microorganisms. The surgeons in old Westerns used
>to
>> > use Old Red Eye in equal parts as anesthesia and antiseptic, and that
>hoary
>> > fallacy persists and manifests itself in off-kilter ways to this day.
>> > Neither grain nor wood alcohol is an effective general sanitizing agent
>> > because spores can survive them.
>> >
>> > I put up my brandied cherries with a cold pack followed by longer water
>bath
>> > processing - it's easier on the fruit than hot pack and lets the
>cherries
>> > maintain their color and shape. And I won't vary from the process! I
>don't
>> > care they're packed in whiskey, brandy, kirsch, schnapps or 150 proof
>> > Everclear -- alcohol itself is not enough.
>> >
>>
>>
>> I disagree. You don't have to kill the spores. (your hot pack does not
>> kill bacterial spores)
>>
>> Just create an acid enviroment so clostridium spores won't sprout, limit
>> the available water with large amounts of sugar, or an alcoholic
>> enviroment that kills them when they do become active. I don't know how
>> strong an alcohol it would take; 20% ABV will kill most yeasts, and
>> yeast is unusually resistant to alcohol.
>>
>> Bob
>
>I have made herbal tinctures for years and followed the teachings of many
>very knowledgeable herbalists. They say that 23% alcohol is enough to
>safely preserve a tincture or succus. I figure it would be strong enough
>for fruit at that strength.
>
>When I made brandied cherries, I just stuffed the cherries into the jar and
>covered with brandy. Then I left them in a dark cupboard and shook them
>when I thought of it (rather like making an herbal tincture). I believe an
>added sugar syrup would have made them too sweet. That probably varies by
>fruit variety and personal preference. ;>
>
>Deb


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