FERMENTED TART CHERRIES
1) Wash the cherries and then pit and remove all stems from the sour cherries. (a cherry pitter really is the best way to do this)
2) Weigh the sour cherries. Add an equal amount, by weight, of sugar. Stir well. Let sit 2 hours. The sugar will begin to dissolve and combine with the cherry juices to form a syrup. Stir one more time.
3) Put the cherries into a jar, crock, or other non-metal vessel. Pack them in and try to get the air bubbles out and then weight the cherries down. I like to use traditional crock weights, glass ash trays, river rocks, a plate or other.
Also, sometimes I like to add other spices into this mix. Cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, ginger root, orange zest...all nice compliments to these fermented cherries.
4) Let it ferment for 2 - 4 weeks. In the hotter summer months it might be less time. (Mine took a week this last time around!) Once they are bubbly and smell amazing they are ready. Scrape off the top layer of cherries, throw in the fridge and enjoy! I like to eat these over homemade coconut ice cream, as a raw tart dessert, or in a kefir smoothie. Yum!