BRANDIED CHERRIES OR BERRIES

1 lb. sugar
1/4 c. water
2 lb. fruit
1/2 pint brandy

Make a syrup of a pound of sugar and a half gill of water for every two lbs. of fruit. Heat to boiling, stirring to prevent burning, and pour over the berries while warm--not hot. Let them stand together an hour; put all into a preserving-kettle, and heat slowly; boil five minutes, take out the fruit with a perforated skimmer, and boil the syrup twenty minutes. Add a pint of brandy for every five pounds of fruit; pour over the berries hot, and seal.

Common Sense in the Household by Marion Harland, New York, 1871

Comment: While this is closely related to "Brandied Peaches or Pears," it is not identical or else neither we nor Mrs. Harland would have gone to the bother of making a separate recipe for it. The main difference between the two--cooling the syrup before pouring it over the fruit, where "Peaches and Pears" calls for it to be boiling at this point--is important if you want to prevent the cherries from popping open in their little canning jars. The larger fruits are made of sturdier stuff and can take the heat. The flimsy skins of the smaller berries cannot.

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