Choke Cherry Syrup

I would love to just eat a handful of choke cherries!... said no one ever.

Ok, ok... Maybe there are some people that can acquire a taste for them, but I didn't even know they existed until a few years ago! 

Turns out the name doesn't lie. They are usually super bitter with a slight cherry taste. While we were picking them, Aaron kept trying to taste one and then spitting it out! 

If John hadn't told me about choke cherry syrup, I would've thought there was no edible use for them. Lol.

The only reason he knew was because it was a tradition to pick choke cherries and make syrup during their family reunion each year.

Well, two years ago, we tried it for the first time, and this year I decided to write it all down so I don't have to keep researching how to do it and compare recipes again!

A few Saturdays ago, we drove up to Heber, UT to pick choke cherries in the canyon. The road we normally go up (Cascade Springs Rd) has so many that last time we were able to park the car and pick tons in a short amount of time! 

This year, that road was closed, sadly. We went up a different canyon road and still found enough, but in the future, we'll definitely go back to the other spot.

After grabbing lunch at Dairy Keen (the train restaurant that our kids love!) we came home to make the syrup.

First, you rinse the cherries and get rid of as many stems, leaves, and shriveled cherries as you can. Then, you put them in a large pot and fill the pot with water so it's just barely covering the cherries. Boil them for 30 minutes or until they're soft enough to easily squish the juice out. 

Next, use a wooden spoon to push the cherries through a sieve into a new pot. Discard the leftover cherry pits and skins when done.

In the end, we had about 6 cups of juice. We added around 4 cups of sugar (yeah, a lot!) and 1/4 tsp of almond extract. After letting it boil to dissolve the sugar, we got the jars ready.

I always thought I needed special equipment to can things, but after calling my Grandma Cail for advice, I found out that I didn't need any of that stuff! All we had to do was boil the jars in water in one pot and boil the lids in water in another. The lids don't actually have to boil for long. They just need to get warm enough that the seal around the edge softens a little.

Once the jars are hot, use tongs to take them out of the pot and empty the water out. Pour the syrup into the jars leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top. Use tongs to get the lid out of the pot and place it on the jar. Place a ring on the jar as well and tighten it just enough to stay on (not as tight as it will go).

After the jars are cooled down, gently press on the lid to make sure it sealed (if it did, it won't pop up and down on top). Now the rings can be tightened all the way.

We usually like to put our choke cherry syrup on pancakes (and whipped cream if we happen to have any) but now, I'm thinking it would be awesome on french toast with a little powdered sugar on top! I'm definitely going to have to try that now that we have a fresh batch of syrup to use!