How to make cherry syrup

On a sunny and hot summer day it is very refreshing with fruity and cold homemade Cherry syrup. (Recipe found by Linn Magnfält on the Internet and then we modified it a little bit.)

PS My water pitcher bargain looks so great with the homemade Cherry syrup, don't you think?

CHERRY SYRUP

You will need (makes approx. 1 litre):
1 litre cherries
300 ml water
300 ml sugar
1/2 tsp sodium benzoate (preservatives)

How to make it:
1. Wash cherries throughly and put in big pot with the water. Bring to boil, and let cook covered for about 15 minutes on medium heat.

2. Press cherries against the side of the pot to take care of ALL the juice.

3. Drain in a collander with a thin cotton fabric (I used an old sheet that I cut up) and let stand for about 30 minutes to let all the juice come through.

4. Clean the pot and pour back the cherry juice. Bring to boil and stir in the sugar. Stir until completely disolved.

5. Take pot off the stove and skim off the juice. Pour juice in a cup and mix in the preservatives and then mix it back into the ready syrup.

6. Pour into clean and warm glass bottles. Close them and let the syrup cool. Store syrup in a cold place.



Tips and advice
• The syrup holds well for a few weeks without preservatives.
• If making a double the recipe be careful with the sugar and add only 100 ml extra of sugar or less.
• To get a slightly fuller/sweeter/twisty flavour of the syrup add 500 grams of raspberries and the juice from one lemon during the process.