This traditional Greek sour cherry preserve, known as “Vyssino Glyko koutaliou,” captures summer’s fleeting sweetness in every spoonful.
The delicate balance of tart cherries and syrupy goodness creates a preservative that’s both a treat and a treasured part of Greek hospitality.
While it requires 24 hours of patience, the actual cooking time is just 15 minutes – making this vegan dessert surprisingly simple to prepare.
Served on its own or alongside Greek coffee, this spoon sweet offers an authentic taste of Mediterranean tradition.
Ingredients for Sour Cherry Preserve
- Sour Cherries: 2kg fresh cherries, stems removed and pitted
- Sugar: 2kg to create the perfect sweet syrup
- Water: 1/2 cup to help create the syrup base
- Lemon Juice: 2 tablespoons to balance sweetness and help preservation
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cherry Preparation: Wash cherries thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Keep them as intact as possible.
- Pitting Process: Use a cherry pitter to remove pits over a wide pot to catch all precious juices. Collect pits and soak them in the 1/2 cup water.
- Initial Sugar Coating: Place pitted cherries in the juice-collected pot, cover with sugar, and add the strained pit-soaking water. Let rest overnight.
- Cooking Process: Heat mixture on high until boiling. Remove any white foam that forms using a slotted spoon.
- Syrup Testing: Check thickness by dropping syrup on a plate – it should hold its shape rather than spread.
- Final Touches: Add lemon juice, boil for 30 seconds more. Remove from heat and gently shake pot periodically as it cools to help cherries plump up.
- Storage: Once completely cooled, transfer to sterilized jars and refrigerate.
Cooking Techniques
Getting those perfect, plump preserved cherries comes down to a few simple but special steps! The overnight sugar soak is pure magic – it helps the cherries release their natural juices and get ready for cooking.
When you’re boiling the cherries, keep an eye out for that white foam on top. Just scoop it off gently with your slotted spoon for the clearest, prettiest syrup. And here’s a fun trick: that gentle pot-wiggling at the end?
It’s not just for show! It helps the cherries puff up beautifully, making them extra juicy and delightful.
Storage Tips
Your homemade cherry preserve will stay fresh and tasty for quite a while if you store it right! Make sure your jars are super clean and sterilized before filling them up.
Once the preserve has cooled completely, pop it in the fridge. The high sugar content helps keep it safe, but refrigeration makes it last even longer.
In clean, sterilized jars and kept cold, your cherry preserve can stay good for several months – though it’s so yummy, it probably won’t last that long!
Serving Suggestions
This sweet cherry preserve is a Greek classic that’s super versatile! Serve it the traditional way – on its own with a small spoon and a glass of cold water on the side. Or get creative and spoon it over vanilla ice cream, Greek yogurt, or cheesecake.
It’s also lovely with morning toast or warm pancakes. For a fancy twist, add a spoonful to sparkling water or lemonade for a cherry-flavored drink. The syrup is just as tasty as the cherries themselves!
Sour Cherry Spoon Sweet Preserve (Vyssino Glyko koutaliou)
Equipment
- cherry pitter
- wide pot
- Slotted spoon
- sterilized jars
Ingredients
- 2 kg fresh sour cherries (70 ounces)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 kg sugar (70 ounces)
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash thoroughly the cherries, remove the stems and drain them on some paper towel.
- Remove the pits from the cherries, being careful to keep them intact. Removing the pits can be a little tricky and you will need to use a cherry pitter. Do that over a wide pot, that you will use later to prepare the sweet, so that you can preserve the juices falling from the cherries. Place the pits into a bowl and add the water (1/2 cup).
- When done, place the cherries into the wide pot, that you have preserved the juices from the cherries and cover them with the sugar. Drain the pits from the water and pour the water also in the pot. Let them stand like that overnight.
- The next day, place the pot on the stove and bring to the boil over high heat. While the cherries boil, some white foam will probably surface on the water. Remove that foam using a slotted spoon each time it surfaces. When the syrup thickens, add the lemon juice and boil further for 30 seconds. To check if the syrup is ready, take some syrup with a spoon and let it drip over the pan. When the last drops start to drip, place a plate under the spoon and drip one two drops on different spots on the plate. If the syrup spreads on the plate, you should boil a little bit more; if the drops stand firm, then the syrup is ready.
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool. In the meantime, wiggle the pot once in a while (5-6 times), to help the cherries puff and become bigger.
- Place into sterilized jars and cover when it cools down completely. Store into the fridge.