No sugar, no sterilization, no hassle! My grandmother used to preserve cherries in jars, and I’ve carried on the tradition, just with a little twist – I don’t sterilize the jars.

Here’s how I do it:

1.Wash the cherries thoroughly and place them directly into the jars.

2.Boil water and pour it into the jars, filling them to the top.

3.Immediately cover the jars with lids while they are still hot.

4.Cover the jars with a warm blanket and leave them for 20-30 minutes to heat through.

These cherries are perfect for compotes and pies in the winter!

I also freeze a portion of the cherries without pits. Using a simple tool, I can easily remove the pits while keeping the cherries whole. Here’s how:

1.Take the cherry, press from the back side, and the pit pops out easily.
2.Place the pitted cherries into a bag, squeezing out the air before sealing.

This way, I have beautiful whole cherries ready for baking pies or just eating as they are.

Now, let’s talk about compote:

1.Once the jars have cooled down, I open them and drain the water into a pot.

2.Add about 100 milliliters of water to the pot, just in case.

3.Bring it to a boil and add a pinch of citric acid to each jar for preservation.

4.Pour the boiling syrup back into the jars, filling them completely.

5.Cover with lids and turn the jars upside down. Wrap them well and leave them to cool completely.