Easy Pickled Cherries (refrigerator pickled cherries)
This easy pickled cherries recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients and takes almost no time to make! Plus, my easy refrigerator recipe doesn’t require any real canning and can easily be made any time, anywhere!
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cherries washed and dried. I like to leave the stems on mine, but you can remove them if you like. Be sure to use sweet cherries, not tart cherries!
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- freshly ground black pepper to taste. OR 3-4 whole peppercorns. Optional, but I would recommend adding it; trust me, it works!
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp sugar I like to use white sugar or cane sugar.
- 1 tsp salt kosher salt or sea salt works best.
Instructions
- Gently pack your washed and dried cherries along with your cinnamon sticks into a clean, dry quart-sized jar. I like to use a wide-mouth canning jar for this recipe.
- Add the black pepper, and set aside until ready to use.
- In a small saucepan, combine the red wine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often.
- Simmer until the salt and sugar have dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the pickling brine to cool to room temperature.
- Once the brine has cooled, carefully pour it into your jar, filling it up to the top and completely covering the cherries. Since you aren’t traditionally canning these cherries, you don’t need to worry about leaving a gap at the top of the jar. Just be sure the cherries are completely covered in the brine.
- Scraw a lid tightly onto your jar and transfer it to the fridge. Let the cherries pickle for 4-5 days before opening.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Pickled cherries are best eaten within 2 weeks after opening. Opened pickled cherries should be stored in a jar or airtight container in the fridge. I like to remove the cinnamon sticks after the initial 5 days; this keeps the cinnamon flavor from getting too strong and overpowering the cherries.
If you would like, you can use pitted cherries for this recipe instead of leaving the pits in.
I have only personally ever made this recipe with red wine vinegar, but you could definitely try making it with different vinegars too! White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and rice wine vinegar would all be good options.
I normally make this recipe in a quart-sized canning jar, but you can also make it in two pint jars.
I love using these cherries as a topping for homemade pizza, or as part of a cheese board on charcuterie boards! They also pair well with chicken, duck, and roast pork. They are also great for salads or used to make salad dressing.
But don’t be fooled; these cherries are also great paired with sweet things! I don’t normally eat them with sweets, but some of the suggestions I’ve received for pairings include cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, and pound cake!
I like to make these pickled cherries with just cinnamon and black pepper, but there are a variety of different things you can add to create different flavors! Here are a few ideas!
- star anise
- vanilla bean
- bay leaves
- coriander seeds
- cloves of garlic
Nutrition
Calories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gSodium: 588mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!