Anticiplate

I know what you are thinking. Pickled Grapes and now Pickled Cherries. Just trust me here.

I am actually not psycho, or original for that matter. Dana Cree and David Lebovitz have both made Pickled Cherries before. And, I hear from a friend that the other day they were spotted at Jerry Traunfeld’s new Seattle Restaurant, Poppy, as part of their trendy “Thali Dish”. They chose to pickle them with lavender and sage, which I can only imagine would work beautifully.

Actually, Why am I trying to justify this recipe? Maybe because it is an odd item to pickle. Or because I have an obsession with most anything pickled- radishes, rhubarb, carrots, zucchini, herring.

Actually, that is a big fat, make-your-nose-grow kind of lie. I do not like pickled herring.

I told my Sous Chef at The Restaurant that I was going to make pickled Cherries, and he told me to leave the pits in. At first, I thought this was an odd concept. Laziness I love, but how annoying to have to bite into the cherry and pull a pit out of your mouth. But, I realize now that it helps them maintain their shape. And like olives, they are entertaining to eat because you get to spit food out of your mouth at the table.

So, just because I was feeling lazy, and wanting a little more entertainment, I also left the stems on.

Just for fun.

I am also not 100% sure I would use Bing Cherries again. I think the Sour Red Cherries would work well with the sweetness of the white balsamic vinegar, and the vanilla bean. Or, maybe I would use Bing Cherries, but change my vinegar to just white wine vinegar with less sugar content. Alas, these are my first attempt.

I snuck a taste, just a mere four hours into the pickling process, and I like them. A lot. Which means there may be no modifications.

But, I rarely dislike a pickle.

Makes 2 16 oz. Mason Jars full

Prep time: 10 minutes

Pickling time: 24 hours, at least

1 lb. Bing cherries, keep stems and pits in tact

1 c. white balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. water

1 c. sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 1/2 tsp. whole black pepper corns

1 lemon, zested into long strips with a potato peeler and 1/2 of it juiced

Pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients, except the cherries, in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil for about 3 minutes until the flavors infuse. Place cherries in a large bowl. Strain pickling liquid on top of the cherries and let cool, keeping the strainer nestled in the pickling liquid. Place in jars and cool in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Can be kept for up to a week.