As labor day approaches, you are suddenly reminded that summer is nearing it’s end. Even in Southern California, there are subtle changes. The summer fruits and vegetables will start to disappear from the farmer’s markets, replaced with apples and pears, hard winter squashes and root vegetables. Inevitably, I end up thinking that I didn’t enjoy enough of the stone fruits that are my personal favorites, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries. The plum galettes, peach cobblers and cherry pies will be replaced with apple cake and pumpkin bread.
My mother used to bake blueberry cakes and buns during the summer, but she also used summer fruits to make her own cordials, something her family did in Poland. The dark sweet syrup was always a reminder of summer, especially when she spooned it into my hot tea in the middle of a New York winter. Summer will slip away no matter what, but here is a way to capture just a little bit of it and put in a jar.
Happy Labor Day!
Wisniak
1 pound cherries
2 cups sugar
3 cups vodka
Rinse the cherries, towel dry, and place in sterilized 1 quart jar. Cover with sugar. Add vodka (make sure fruit is covered with vodka) and cover tightly.
Store on a dark shelf for about 4 weeks before using. Then strain out cherries, (don’t throw them away) and pour syrup back into jar.
Enjoy,
Irene
[...] the next plan is to make a gallon of my own cherry-cordial liqueur from cherries, vodka and sugar per this recipe, and redo the taste test. This should prove much cheaper, but I have no idea how much almost 20 lbs [...]
OMG tons of jews going drunk. love it !!!!!!! must give it a try NOW! four weeks is a long time away…….
You’ll get to try it on Sukkot!!
Thanks for writing!
irene
i can see us gotting drunk while eating this, sound amazing [ i have try it sometimes soon ] love rachel
Thanks Rachel,
It won’t be ready by tomorrow but if it’s good, I will make some more. We will have wine so don’t worry about that!
Love,
Irene
Hi, Irene. Your sister here. Mommy used raspberries for her “cold remedy”. “malehneh sauck”…. malehnehs are raspberries and “kerschin or kirschen” are cherries. I remember her having it hidden in her closet of her bedroom on the very top shelf. Maybe you were too young to remember. She would put enough of the “sauck” into our tea to make it reddish and delicious. But from the recipe on your blog, yours sounds just as delicious and i hope there will be some left for sukkot when we come to LA.
Love you,
Anita
Hi Anita,
I do remember it all except that she hid it in her closet. Definitely do not remember tht part! We will save some for Sukkot for sure.
Love you too!
Irene
Can we come over in 4 weeks and try it out? Looks fantastic
Of course although Isaac probably knows more than I do!!!
Thank you Susan!
Irene — this post was absolutely poetic.
Wow, Elin, coming from you that is a huge compliment!! Thank you!!
Irene, my mother used to make what I called vishnik – she used to put it in my tea also – you bring back memories of my youth (so long ago)
Really??? Just an alternate spelling. Polish uses a W, not a V. SO NICE!!
Thanks Mollie!
Irene
You are amazing! But summer isn’t quite gone. I’m still purchasing melons and peaches and blueberries, and my tomato plant is in full production. Not ready to turn to autumn yet!
I’m not either!! You’ll have to bring your Mom over and we can all share the Wishniak!!!