In Greek: βύσσινο γλυκό του κουταλιού, pronounced VEE-see-no ghlee-KOH too koo-tal-YOO
The hardest part of this recipe is removing the pits from the cherries. Use a cherry pitter, cherry stoner, large sewing needle, or - if you have the time - a paper clip to remove the pits. Sour cherry spoon sweet is one of the Greek favorites, and it can be served alone with a glass of water, with a cup of coffee (Greek is fabulous), or spooned over Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream. [link url=http://greekfood.about.com/od/discovergreekfood/a/spoonsweets.htmLearn more about Spoon Sweets[/link].
Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 pounds of fresh sour cherries
- 7 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
- 7/8 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Preparation:
Wash the cherries well. Remove stems and pits carefully, keeping cherries intact. In a wide pot, lay the cherries in layers, covering each layer with sugar, until all the cherries and all the sugar have been used. Set aside for 3 hours.
Add the water to the pot and bring the cherries and sugar to a boil over high heat. Skim off foam as it rises to the top with a slotted spoon. When the syrup thickens, add the lemon juice and allow to boil for another few seconds. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
When thoroughly cooled, place in airtight glass jars to store.
Yield: approx. one quart
To serve, place 2-3 teaspoonfuls of the cherries and syrup on a small plate. Sour Cherry Spoon Sweet is always served with a glass of cold water.
Serve alone, with coffee, or as a topping on yogurt, vanilla ice cream, tarts, or other desserts.
- Note: If you plan to make Vyssinatha (non-alcholic cherry cordial) that uses the sour cherry syrup, add an extra 4 cups of sugar to this recipe to increase the quantity of syrup.