It's my favorite time of year - the sour cherries are in season!

If you've read my previous post, you'll know that I'm a bit obsessed with sour cherries. Last weekend, I accompanied K and her two minions to Homestead Farms for a pick-your-own party. The weather was warm but not sweltering, and the cherries glowed ruby-red in perfect ripeness. Exerting an unusual (for me) level of restraint, I was able to limit myself to a reasonable tonnage. In previous years this has not been the case and, consequently, I'd labored for hours and hours pitting the bounty of my harvest.

Some of the fruit went into the freezer for later use, a memento of hot summer days in the cold winter months. Some went into my first pie of the season (yum!). And some I used to make cocktail cherries, the perfect garnish for Old-Fashioneds, Manhattans, and other boozy delights. Last year's batch was so delicious that I doubled the recipe, but I had enough cherries left over to experiment. I decided to shoot for a warm, earthy flavor profile balanced by a bit of citrus. Sadly, I won't know the results of this experiment for another month (that's how long the cherries have to marinate). But I promise I'll report back!

h.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups sour cherries, pitted (about ½ lb)

• ¼ cup turbinado sugar

• ¼ cup water

• slice of orange peel, length and width of two fingers

• ½ tsp. cacao nibs

• 2 whole allspice

• 6 black peppercorns

• 2 coffee beans

• ¼ cup cherry liqueur (I used Heering)

• ¼ cup bourbon (I used Elijah Craig)

Steps

• Combine sugar, water, and spices in a small saucepan

• Heat and stir until sugar has just dissolved

• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature

• Transfer to quart Mason jar and add remaining ingredients

• Store in the refrigerator

• [Optional] Taste weekly until the desired level of flavor is achieved, then remove spices