How to Can Bourbon Cherries (For Drinks + Desserts)

Sweet cherries simmered with vanilla, almond, and a generous pour of bourbon. They’re so much better than anything store-bought and perfect on a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dropped into your favorite cocktail. Here’s exactly how to make and safely preserve your own bourbon cherries at home.

They’re fantastic in cocktails, spooned over ice cream, or chopped up in a simple pound cake.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Invest in a good quality cherry pitter. It will save you time and frustration. Frozen or fresh cherries work. If you use frozen cherries, make sure they are thawed and drained before starting.

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If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Equipment

• Water Bath Canner
• 6 half-pint jars
• Cherry pitter
• Large pot

Ingredients

• 3 pounds sweet cherries (frozen or fresh, see notes)
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup bottled lemon juice
• 1 vanilla bean split (substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and add it along with the bourbon and almond extract)
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ¾ cup bourbon (you can also use brandy or rum if you prefer)

How to Make Bourbon Cherries for Canning

Step One: Prep

Wash jars with hot, soapy water. Transfer the clean jars to a water bath canner. Fill the canner and the jars with water so that the jars are fully submerged. Place over medium heat. Place the lids and rings in a saucepan over low heat and allow to simmer. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil.

Step Two: Prepare And Boil Cherries

Rinse, stem, and pit cherries. Transfer them to the pot of boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Transfer them to a mesh strainer and drain them.

Step Three: Dissolve Sugar

Add the sugar, water, lemon juice, and the split vanilla bean in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil and dissolve the sugar.

Step Four: Add Cherries

Once the sugar is dissolved, add the cherries. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the cherries at 180℉ for 5 minutes.

Step Five: Add Bourbon

Remove from the heat and add the bourbon and almond extract. Stir to combine.

Step Six: Remove Vanilla Bean

Remove the vanilla bean from the cherry mixture.

Step Seven: Fill

Remove the jars from the canner and place a canning funnel over one jar. Transfer the cherries to the hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Using a debubbler tool, remove any bubbles. Refill the jars to maintain a ½ inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, moist towel. You can use a towel moistened with white vinegar.

Step Eight: Process

Place the lid and rings on the jars and transfer them to the water bath canner. Make sure that the jars are fully submerged in water, with at least 2 inches of water covering the jars. Set the heat to medium and cover the water bath canner with the lid. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes.

Step Nine: Cool

After 10 minutes, remove the canner from the heat, remove the lid, and allow the jars to sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the jars to a heat-safe area and let them cool for 12-24 hours.

Step Ten: Check Seals

After 24 hours, check the lids for a proper seal. If a proper seal has been confirmed, remove the rings, label the jars, and store the jars in a cool, dark area for 12-18 months or per your lid manufacturer’s recommendations.

Storing & Serving Bourbon Cherries

Canned cherries should be stored in a cool, dark place like a pantry or basement and will typically stay good for 12-18 months.

• Try these in my spiked cherry limeade instead of maraschino cherries.
• Serve with black forest sheet cake.
• Replace the maraschino cherries in my cherry Christmas cookies recipe for an adult version (don’t bake the cherries with the cookies).
• Spoon over vanilla ice cream.

Related Recipes

• This cherry pie filling will give you enough for 7 pies! But it’s great on ice cream too.
• A little different, but this cherry barbecue sauce tastes great on pork and chicken.

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