Easy Sugar-Free Cherry Sauce Recipe without Cornstarch (2024)

FAQs

How do you preserve cherries without sugar? ›

Cherries, pitted or with pits, may be frozen without sugar, in water or unsweetened fruit juice, or dry, but the texture will be softer when thawed. Sweet cherries may be frozen in a single layer on shallow trays before packing into containers or zip-type plastic bags to prevent them from sticking together.

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Stir in water. Add the cherries and cook until thick and bubbly.

Rinse cherries and thoroughly pat dry. Remove any stems and pit the cherries. It's easier to remove cherry pits when they're fresh, so save yourself the hassle and pit them before freezing. You can cut the cherries if desired, but they can also be frozen whole.

Mix 2/3 cup sugar per quart of sour cherries; or 1/3 cup sugar per quart of sweet cherries. To package, fill freezer containers to within 1/2 inch from top. If pint or quart freezer bags are used, fill to within 3/4 inches from the top. Squeeze out as much air as possible.

One is to coat the fruit as it is cut with a solution of 1 teaspoon crystalline ascorbic acid or 3,000 mg crushed vitamin C tablets per cup of water. Another is to drop the cut pieces in a solution of water and ascorbic acid, citric acid, or lemon juice.

The cherries that have stems, I will put them into a half gallon or gallon sized mason jar with a paper towel at the bottom. The mason jar of cherries should be stored in the fridge and they will last for about three weeks. The bowl of cherries should also be placed in the fridge, but be sure to eat those first!

Maraschino cherries are a popular topping for ice cream sundaes and used in certain co*cktails or as garnishes for foods like glazed ham, parfaits, milkshakes, cakes, and pastries. They're also often found in canned fruit mixes.

Keep 'em cold! Cherries will spoil quickly if left out at room temperature, so you should pop them in the refrigerator immediately upon getting home from the grocery store. Once in the fridge, cherries can last for about a week.

Cherries will last in the freezer for around 6 months but will be fine up to a year when properly frozen. This means you can enjoy the sweet taste of cherries year-round, even when the cherry season is over.

Can you freeze cherries for later use? ›

Cherries will keep in the freezer for 6 months, or up to a year in a deep freezer. I froze approximately 54 cherries, and that yielded one quart size bag of frozen cherries.

Pit each cherry and spread them out, so that they are not touching, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Freeze the fruit for at least two hours, or until mostly solid, and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag.

Cherries require coolness and dryness. Getting your cherries in the fridge—and quickly—will automatically keep them fresh longer. If you skip washing and lay them out flat (rather than pile them on top of each other in a bag or container), you'll see even better results.

You can also try freezing without any sugar. Just boil the water, add the cherries, bring back to a boil and then ladle out when cool enough to work with. Freeze.

Spread out the pitted cherries in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and place in the freezer until solid. (This step will take around two hours.) Move the cherries to a freezer-safe, air-tight container, and transfer to the freezer.

Cherries should always be kept in the refrigerator, unless you plan to eat them immediately. The best way to increase the longevity of fresh cherries is to make sure they stay as dry as possible. This means that washing fresh cherries before storing them can accelerate the spoiling process.

Room temperature storage results in dull-colored skins and soft fruit within a few days. Instead, store cherries uncovered in the refrigerator as soon as you bring them home. This way, they'll stay fresh for up to a week, if not longer.