[Sca-cooks] maraschino cherries, was I quit- and froup!

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Misha wrote:
>What's the difference between Maraschino and morello? How does the flavor's
>differ? Never heard of morello but i'm a fan of maraschino

Actually, Morellos have been discussed on this list while you've been
here, but maybe you had an exam to study for and you missed the
discussion.

Avraham filled in many gaps with:
>According to Epicurious (www.epicurious.com), Maraschino cherries are a
>specially treated fruit that can be made from any variety of cherry,
>though the Royal Ann is most often used. The cherries are pitted and
>then macerated in a flavored sugar syrup (usually almond flavor for red
>cherries, mint for green). At one time they were traditionally flavored
>with Maraschino liqueur, though such an extravagance is now rare. The
>cherries are then dyed red or green. The federal government has now
>banned the use of the harmful dyes that were used until recently.
>Maraschino cherries can be purchased with or without stems.
>(SNIP) Because of the processing, they really don't taste much
>like cherries at all.

My objection to modern Maraschino cherries is that they are a
primarily artificial chemical concoction. Sure, there's a cherry - or
what was a cherry - in there somewhere. But i really don't need the
extremely dangerous artificial colors in them (last i heard, the red
was banned from food use in everything because it was so dangerous
BUT allowed in maraschino cherries because "nobody" would eat a whole
lot of them... well, i know some folks who do...). Not to mention the
preservatives, the artificial flavors, the high fructose corn syrup,
etc.

If someone could make a NATURAL Maraschino cherry (and once upon a
time i guess they did) i'd give it a try.

>Morello cherries, on the other hand, according to TV Food Network
>(www.foodtv.com), are sour cherries with dark red skin and flesh, seldom
>found fresh and used in a variety of processed products. The blood-red
>juice is used in making liqueurs and brandies, and the cherries can be
>found canned, packed in syrup, dried and in preserves. The sharp, sour
>taste makes the Morello unsuitable for eating raw but perfect for
>cooking.

I like Morellos best packed in light sugar syrup and use them in
period food, as Morellos are called for specifically in some German
recipes. I also found, at my local Persian market, a FABULOUS Middle
Eastern brand of morello cherry syrup for making drinks - 1 pt syrup
in 5 pts water. Same company that makes the lemon-quince syrup.

And by the way, folks, Misha is a male. In fact, Misha is a male name
- it's the Russian/Slavic nickname for Mikael (Michael). For some
reason, Americans seem to think every name that end's in "a" is a
girl's name. Like Sasha, the Russian/Slavic nickname for Alexander,
another male name.

Anahita