Black cherry juice has for some time been named Mother Nature's most effective remedy for pain. In addition to the fact that it is completely natural, it promotes the body's antioxidant abilities, reduces inflammation, lipid peroxidation and contributes to the recovery of muscle function. You can buy it in stores, but why not make it yourself? Read on to learn how to turn your basketful of sour cherries into juice, either quickly with a blender or on the stove.
Ingrediants
On the Stove
- 450 g of sour cherries
- 900 g of sugar (even less if you prefer)
- 250 ml of water
- 3 bottles of carbonated water
Quick and Easy Recipe
- 15 clean and pitless cherries
- Sugar or sweetener (to taste)
- Water (to taste)
Steps
Method 1 of 2: On the stove
Step 1. Put the clean and pitless cherries in a saucepan
Add the sugar. If you want the juice to be even more acidic, add less sugar. You can also use sweeteners, honey or agave syrup.
To remove the pit, cut the sour cherries on the edge with a knife. You should be able to extract the core without difficulty. If you can't, pry it up with a butter knife
Step 2. Cover the saucepan and leave it at room temperature for 2 hours
During this time, the sour cherries absorb the sweetness of the sugar. It will be so strong that you will have to dilute the juice with water later on.
Step 3. Add 250ml of water and stir until the sugar has dissolved
The mixture must become as uniform as possible.
Step 4. Bring the mixture to a boil
Then lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. The mixture should bubble slightly all the time, while the liquid part reduces leaving a sort of syrup.
Step 5. After the necessary time, filter the mixture
Mash the cherries well to release all the juices. Don't just drain them, squeeze them!
Now that you're done with the sour cherries, you can throw them away, reuse them for a jam or add them to ice cream
Step 6. Let the liquid simmer until it thickens like maple syrup
Remove the saucepan from the heat and wait for it to cool to room temperature. Finally, transfer the syrup to a resealable container to store in the refrigerator. Done!
The consistency you got is correct; it is a concentrate of sour cherry juice. So it must be pretty dense
Step 7. To make the drink, put one or two tablespoons of syrup in a glass
Add sparkling water (or plain if you prefer). Feel free to experiment with various juice-to-water ratios until you find the recipe that's right for you. It will take a couple of tries, but you will eventually find the right flavor.
Leave the rest of the syrup in the container. It will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks
Method 2 of 2: Quick and Easy Recipe
Step 1. Put the cherries (cleaned and pitted) in a blender
15 fruits is the right amount for a glass of drink. Use more if you plan to offer it to many friends or want to keep it.
The simplest way to clean and ston the black cherries is to put them in a bowl under running cold water and then drain them. Then engrave them vertically and remove the core with a butter knife
Step 2. Add sugar if you like and blend
If you want a very acidic juice, avoid sugar. Otherwise, start with 2 tablespoons, you can always add more later.
You can also opt for a calorie-free sweetener, honey or agave syrup
Step 3. If necessary, add water
Otherwise the juice will be very concentrated. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, blending. Stop when you reach the desired consistency.
It is likely that some pieces of black cherry will float and prevent you from obtaining a juice with a homogeneous consistency; this is a completely normal event. We will deal with this in the next step
Step 4. Filter the juice with a colander
Unless your juice is very pulpy, of course. The ideal would be to have a cocktail strainer to place right on top of a glass. This will remove the large pieces of fruit and the peels.
If the juice still feels too thick, add more water. Taste from time to time to see if you need to make any changes
Step 5. Serve and enjoy your drink
Add some ice cubes, a straw and garnish the glass according to your imagination. Who needs supermarket products the most when you can make them yourself in a heartbeat?
