Mulled Wine Pickled Cherries

To me, cherries always indicate that summer is here. I’d love to be able to grow them in my garden but have to content myself with buying them by the box-load and then looking for ways to enjoy them throughout the year. I’ve made lots of different sweet recipes for cherries (see below) so I was intrigued to discover this recipe for pickled cherries that can be enjoyed with a cheeseboard or with meats.

400g cherries
100ml red wine vinegar
250ml red wine
3 tbsp sugar
2 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
6 whole cloves
Strips of orange zest

I pitted the cherries using an olive pitter (optional). Don’t forget to save the pits to make a cherry pit vinegar.

Combine all the ingredients except the cherries in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Add the cherries and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Spoon the cherries and spices into hot sterilised jars. Pour the hot liquid over to cover them and seal the jars.

Store the jars in a cool place for a few weeks or so for the flavours to develop.

Once opened, store in the fridge and use within a couple of weeks.