Marena (Sour Cherry Syrup)

Ingredients

• kg clarified cherry juice
• kg very white powdered sugar
• g citric acid
• cinnamon
• g cherry-pit almonds

Instructions

1. Stem and crush true marasca cherries; reserve a handful of pits.
2. Ferment the cherries with whole cinnamon in earthenware at least 48 hours, pushing down and stirring.
3. Press out the juice, let it settle, decant the clear part, and filter the rest through wool.
4. Heat the clarified juice with the cinnamon, then add sugar and citric acid, stirring often.
5. Boil only 4-5 minutes, then bottle cold with untarred cork and store in the cellar.
6. Optionally crack the reserved pits, pound 30 g of the kernels fine, and add to the cherries before fermenting for a bitter-almond note.