There are flavors that have a way of taking us back in time. Greek cherry spoon sweet is one of them. It was never just a jar of preserves sitting quietly in the pantry. It was a grandmother's warm welcome, the traditional treat offered to every guest, the little sweet indulgence that brought a Sunday family meal to a perfect close and made summer feel just a little more special.
Every year, when cherry season arrived, the same cherished ritual began. The finest, ripest cherries were carefully selected one by one, patiently prepared, and slowly simmered until they became a fragrant spoon sweet that filled the home with the scent of summer, family, and tradition. It was a process that required time, but above all, love and care.
Greek cherry spoon sweet is much more than a traditional recipe. It is a jar filled with memories. It is the taste that brought families together around the table, served with a glass of cold water, a bowl of creamy yogurt, or a scoop of rich kaymak ice cream. Every spoonful is a gentle reminder that life's most beautiful moments have always been, and will always be, the simplest ones...
Easy
Total: Aprox. 30 min
Α medium sized jar
Ingredients
- 1 kg large cherries, pitted
- 1 kg g sugar
- 300 g water
- 2/3 tsp citric acid/ sour salt, dissolved in a little water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 sachet vanillin or 1 tsp vanilla extract
How to
- In a bowl, add the cherries and the sugar and after closing the bowl, refrigerate for 10 - 12 hours.
- In a pot, add the water and the cherries and boil for 10 - 15 minutes, removing the foam.
- Leave the spoon sweet in the syrup for 8 - 10 hours, gently shaking the pot occasionally so the cherries mix evenly with the syrup.
- Then boil again for 10 minutes or until it sets.
- In the final boil, add the vanillin, the citric acid (dissolved in 1 tbsp water) and the lemon juice and stir very gently.
- Transfer to sterile jars and store in a cool, dry, dark place.
Note from Greek jar:
Old recipes mention the use of whitewash (lime and water) to keep the cherries crisp. Soak the cherries in whitewash for 2 - 3 hours and then rinse very well!!!! I avoid this and I think that my spoon sweet is quite crisp without the use of whitewash.
