Persian sour cherry preserve

Sour cherries are common in the Middle East. They are abundant and used liberally in the cuisine. They grow from the ancient Persian Ottoman Empire boundaries of Turkey across to Armenia and Georgia and to Russia in the East. They are coveted and frozen for the non-seasonal months. Other sour fruits that are also used are barberries and pomegranates, but sour cherries have a special place with grandmas and chefs because of their fleeting seasonality.

We have a lovely sour cherry from Himachal Pradesh in India. In the Upper Shimla area of Himachal Pradesh, particularly in regions like Kotgarh, Kumarsain, Baghi, and Kothkai, cherry cultivation thrives due to favourable climatic conditions and fertile soil. Due to their high demand, cherries appear suddenly on carts and with fruit sellers and quickly disappear.

This is a lovely preserve. The sugar tempers the tartness of the cherries, and the rose water adds a beautiful aroma and flavour to this decadent preserve. It is a very simple preserve to make and one that I should have made more of.

This is a beautiful book packed with most of the well-known Persian recipes. The instructions are simple, and you are guaranteed to fall in love with the tahdig once you master this art. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great starter on Persian cuisine. For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 lb pitted sour cherries

3/4-1 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Juice of 1 lime

11/2 teaspoons rose water

Mix well with the pitted cherries in a bowl with half the sugar. Marinate the cherries for 3 hours or overnight.

Add the cherries, the rest of the sugar, salt and water to a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the cherries are soft but still hold their shape. The sugar will form a thick syrup. You will need to stir the pot almost continually as the syrup thickens.

Remove from the heat, add the lime juice and rose water, and mix in well. Taste to ensure the preserve is tart and the rose aroma is unmistakable.

Cool and store in the fridge.