Brandied Cherries

If you had told me a year ago I might own a cherry pitter, I would have laughed. A lot. But months of fruitless (pun int.) searches for good, reasonably-priced brandied cherries have since altered my outlook.

Behind my studio, a pair of ancient cherry trees loaded with fruit reminded me of this recipe for brandied cherries. Armed with a yogurt tub, I climbed through scratchy limbs to harvest about five pounds of cherries.

Pitting cherries with the Norpro pitter. Fast and efficient!

Two splattery, sticky hours later, I possessed four jars of delicious, spicy, brandied cherries that actually still tasted like cherries. And for the first time ever, I craved a Manhattan on a 100-degree day. The recipe is a bit of work, but worth the extra effort.

Juniper and allspice berries simmer in syrup

It will be a few weeks before I post any new paintings. Still juggling two separate bodies of work, I've had to take five (weeks, or so) from Mixology to prepare for upcoming shows. But I've been hoarding more vintage props, so I'll try to post some of my finds in the meantime.