No,you don't need it. Alum will only work on fermented pickles. It can actually make foods softer as they sit in the jars.
I made some maraschino once.They were good, but not like commercial canned ones. Much softer. We used the syrup from them, mixed with Sprite and made a drink from it. It was good.
I used pickling lime to soak mine in, but still they were soft. You have to be very careful using the lime, as it is harmful if you inhale it. Plus, it must be rinsed really well to be sure you get it all off. You get pickling lime with the canning supplies.
Now there is Pickle Crisp, which is calcium chloride. I have not heard any info on using it with fruits, though.
It is the same thing used by commercial industry for making pickles crisp. They also use it in canned tomatoes commercially.

According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, alum can still be used on fermented pickles; however they no longer include it in the recipes in their archives as it's been superseded by other firming agents.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Safe Firming Agents?

It's totally okay if they don't taste like store-bought maraschinos. (Who wants to eat a jar of preservatives, anyway?) Hubby actually asked me to try using black cherries, and if I do that I can say they're not SUPPOSED to be like anything you've ever tasted before! LOL

I've never canned cherries in any form, so I don't really know what to expect. Do they turn mushy after processing? If I don't track down the alum, will these be unsuitable for topping an ice cream sundae?

I don't think I want to mess with lime. I have some Pickle Crisp, though.

Let's take a poll: if they were your cherries, and you were going to maraschino them for someone you love, would you

1) Try the Pickle Crisp?
2) Skip the firming agent and hope for the best?
3) Just make two batches two different ways, and reprocess anything mushy into jam.

Okay, if you want to make Maraschino cherries, I hope you found the right recipe. Maraschinos are about as close to fake food as you can get, but since no one's living on them, I don't see that it's much of an issue. Oregon and Michigan are the U.S. "homefront" for Maraschinos. I say, with some native pride, that Oregon produces the really fancy ones, with stems.

Here's the old Oregon State recipe for three-day Maraschinos that does use alum. You'll notice it calls for lots more sugar than most of the recipes you find online. I can attest to the fact that it's a recipe that's been around for a while because right now I'm looking at my mother's old brown newspaper clipping of the same recipe, circa 1950.

This document was last updated in 1992, so the processing time might be a bit short by today's standards. However, you have 4 1/2 pounds of cherries and roughly 4 pounds of sugar, which makes this approximately the same ratio as cherry preserves, so I'd use this time, just sterilize the jars. Alternatively, use hot clean jars and BWB 10 minutes rather than 5.

Should be kind of fun. Whichever recipe you use, let us know how it turns out. Also, make sure the cherries are extra-fresh. If I were making these, I'd pick the cherries myself (firm-ripe only) and brine them the same day. Reduces the likelihood they'll be mushy.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Maraschino Cherries

julsie -

Happened to notice your post for alum.

I have a small container of alum (been around longer than forever- I'm sure), that found its way into my medicine chest. It is used as an astringent for stopping small bleeding wounds.

The instructions say that it can also be used for pickling. I may have used some in the distant past and not sure of its potency.

The name of the company that produced it was "Whiteworth, Inc." from Gardena, Ca. I'll bet, however, they are no longer in business. If you are still interested in using it, however, I think you could find it in a drug store.

I find "flowers of sulfur" there - when I want to sulfur apricots for drying outside - (keeps cots from turning dark), a process that is rarely done these days since the advent of dehydrators.

Bejay

Thanks, Carol! That recipe was identical to a couple others I found, except that they listed the sugar in pounds instead of cups. You've just helped me weed out the others.

I tried the pharmacy section of a large grocery store, but I haven't gone to a regular pharmacy yet, so I'll try that. I've found alum online, but by the time you figure in shipping, it's more than I want to pay.

Thanks, everyone!
Julie

Usually you can find small jars of alum in the spice section. Suprisingly, a lot of grocery stores carry it.

Pharmacies will often order it for you, but you may not find there's any cost-saving over ordering online.

However, alum does not deteriorate or lose its potency. You could pass it down to your grandchildren and it would still be fine.

Here's a great online company to order from; their pickling spices are also good and reasonable. I've ordered from them quite a few times, especially for products Penzey's doesn't carry. Look at their Vegetable Whitener. It's much, much cheaper than Fruit Fresh. Their bulk pectin is also a good buy.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: American Spice Canning & Pickling Supplies

Julie, honestly, you don't need the alum. It is an old timey method and doesn't help unless you are fermenting pickles.
I volunteer my time at the county extension office,and this is what we tell people when they call.
In the pickles, we don't recommend it anymore, either. We tell everyone to use fresh cucumbers. That is best way to make crisp pickles. But, since you are canning cherries, I really would not bother with the alum....

Alum will not improve any crispness. Lime was used a while ago to help the cucumbers to stay crisp in vinegar as it acted as a block for the acid in vinegar. Now, Pickle Crisp is used and is calcium chloride which helps to buffer some of the acid in vinegar. If you want tartness to a point of pucker, add some acid like a mix of malic, tarteric, and citric. There is also a maraschino oil flavoring that is quite strong. I have used this with candied green cherries and green food coloring to get a green flavored cherry. They go great in my cream cheese walnut and cherry cake. Really pretty at Christmas time.

Blue ribbon preserves has a recipe for Maraschino Cherries. The ingredients are
2.5 pounds unblemished firm, ripe Royal Anned cherries or sour red cherries
8 cups water
2 tablespoons antioxidant crystals or ascorbic acid crystals
1.5 cups water
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 tablespoon pure almond extract

Let me know if you want me to post the long instructions. They are pretty similar to the oregan directions, minus a day.

Almond extract isn't quite the same taste as a maraschino flavor. It could be used however, but for an authentic taste of the real flavoring, there is a maraschino oil that is available through the following site:

Here is a link that might be useful: Unusual Flavorings

I found that the pure almond extract was better than the artificial kind. My daughter just loved those cherries. I don't feel like pitting them and going through all of that this year, though.

Wow am I glad I found this post:) I am planning to make some maraschino cherries this weekend. I love canning things and am always on the lookout for new things to make and try. Now to get DH to watch the girls while I go and pick cherries:)

Stacie

Thanks for your help, everybody! Tomorrow I'm off to the farmers market for some yummy cherries, which my hubby will get to spend the day pitting because it's my birthday and I don't want to. :-D

Julie

I am definitely with Linda on using natural flavors only. Here's a company that doesn't get much publicity but that sells a wide range of wonderful natural flavors and oils. I'm boosting their products wherever I can because I want to make sure they stay in business.

They're easy to order from. Quick service.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Bickford Flavors

Okay, I just went out and picked some cherries. I'm going to give these a try. I'm thinking I might add some wild cherry flavoring to a jar and also try pickle crisp in a jar and some without - see what the difference is.

One thing about the Blue Ribbon Preserves recipe Melly posted. That one mentions ascorbic acid. Be sure you get your cherries into ascorbic acid as soon as they're pitted or they'll all be brown in the center.

Carol

Carol, that browning happens fast too. I picked sour cherries at Dad's last weekend and some of them were so ripe that the pit stayed on the tree with the stem. Less than an hour later they were home in my sink and the centers were already quite brown. I made them into jam anyway and it tastes good but the color put me off a bit. I ended up added some red food color to disguise it a little and I seldom add anything to jam that I don't need to.

As for the almond extract, there is a BIG difference between the real stuff and the artificial flavoring, I agree. I get the real stuff at Penzey's and even the aroma is so much nicer.

Annie

Ahh yes. Bickford. I almost forgot about them. They do have quite a selection, including 'Juicy Fruit' the flavor of gum. I like their pistachio oil, and a few others that I used when flavoring some white chocolate for making molded chocolates. I used a few green colored chocolate wafers, mixed ith the white, and the pistachio oil, then some whole pistachio nuts into each mold. Quite a taste treat. Bickford has been around for many years, but don't seem to have many retail outlets selling their products, but they do accept orders.

The only place I've run across Bickford (except for their own website, of course) is House on the Hill, which sells a number of Bickford Oils for use in Springerle.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: House on the Hill Cookie Molds

I don't normally buy imitation anything, but you all had me concerned! I checked my almond extract, and it's from Frontier Natural Flavors. The only ingredients are glycerin, natural bitter almond oil, and water. I got it in the organic/health food section of Ukrop's (a Virginia grocery store). I've never used it before, but their vanilla came highly recommended -- plus, I have food allergies and knew this brand was safe.

I'll have to round up some ascorbic acid, too, I guess! That's sold as Fruit Fresh, right?

Wow, this is complicated. It's looking more and more like we're going to move in a month, so I'm thinking about buying a pressure canner to can everything that's currently in our freezer. A pressure canner has to be cheaper than replacing all those groceries, right?

Julie

Yes, Fruit Fresh is one of the brand names for ascorbic acid. I had bought quite a large amount of it, and later discovered it was not food grade. The product I got was very cheap, and was actually meant to be mixed with water and to be sprayed for controlling fungus on plant leaves. I bought a pint bottle of almond flavoring made by Tones. It was at a Christmas Tree Shop. Great deal at $1.99. It was pure as well. Many of these use alcohol as well as glycerin, which is used to help emulsify the flavor oil with water or alcohol. The alcohol is used to help the product from going rancid and also to improve its life. If your wanting a well rounded acid to add to jellies or other fruit jams, you can also get a blend of malic, tarteric, anc citric. These are used in wine making, and are much closer to the natural acids in fruits. The product I buy is from Wine Hobby, and is granular. It has the same acidity level as regular citric acid, but brings out a brighter taste to overly sweet jellies.

Here is a link that might be useful: Acid Blend

This is really odd. I posted a response on ascorbic acid last night and it just "disappeared." Now how did that happen?

OK, the first ingredient in Fruit Fresh is dextrose (aka sugar) then ascorbic acid then citric acid. So basically you're paying a premium for a diluted product.

Some pharmacies offer ascorbic acid crystals but I know ours quit stocking it because there wasn't enough demand. They will order it from their supplier, though.

I had the best luck finding ascorbic acid (other than ordering online) in healthfood store vitamin and supplement sections or in the nutrition section of the big all-purpose stores with the natural vitamins, etc.

Fruit Fresh is fine and generally available in the spice section this time of year but keep an eye out for the ascorbic acid as it's cheaper and goes a lot farther.

Carol

Julie,
Not only would not have replace the groceries but the pressure canner will be with you for a good long time. Just imagine all the things you could do with it...

I know, Melly! You don't have to tempt me any further. I think it'll take another week of eating out of our freezer to convince dh that we really can't eat all that before we leave!

Ascorbic acid can come in several strengths and qualities. Some use crushed up vitamin C pills. Without really knowing the strength, you can't tell how much to use in a recipe, unless it mentions a specific brand and amount.

Dear ksrogers,
Have been reading forever about your malic, tarteric, & citric acid blend. You finally mention it above and now I know where to look for it. Thanks and have a Happy Thanksgiving. Regards - Jim

Great. I Just visited my local source and bought a whole pound of it as I use it in almost all my jellies and even in fruit flavored cold drinks that are just too sweet. I mix frozen apple juice concentrate with water, and usually add something like a Crystal Light raspberry drink mix. The two are a bit bland until I add a little of the acid blend, and it changes the whole 'character' of the drink.

Jim,
The acid blend is not safe to use as a substitute for citric acid if you are canning tomatoes in case you were thinking of that use. I ran it by Elizabeth Andress, who so graciously answered my question. She is the lady who wrote the USDA canning guides. She said it would not require the same amount to get the same results and no way of knowing how much it may take to do so.
It is fine to add for tartness to jams, but not for the preserving quality in foods.

I posed that same question to the seller of the blend and she uses a pH meter as well as other means to determine the total acidity. Compared to granulated citric acid, the acidity of the blend reached the same pH level using the same amount of the acid blend. The acid blend is also granular and looks exactly like citric. Its not made of cream or tarter or any other common baking or cooking additive. Its basiclally a blend that is derived from the same kinds of sources citric come from, except these sources are higher in malic and tarteric. I'm not saying is safe to add to tomatoes when canning, but even for that, all tomatoes have some acidity in them, be it citric, malic, tarteric, or other more complex acids. Adding an acid, or acid complex of most any kind can reinforce the acidity of a food thats to be canned. For jellies, it does make then taste a lot better and fresher compared to a single 'monotone' citric tartness. There are other acids like fumaric and a few more that are used to enhance flavor and taste, but these fall into a higher level of commercial applications. The acid blend is specifically used to increase acidity of grape and other fruit juices and goes great with many wine making recipes. Too much tarteric can precipitate out and reform crystals at the bottom of a wine bottle. When this level is reached, its a good indication that the acidity has reached its maximum absorbtion into the juice. The amount used to achieve this crysalizing is usually about the same amount of just citric alone, when you consider adding a half teaspoon to a wine in a quart bottle. Suffice to say, that Elizabeth Andress may not condone its use, only because she has not, or will not, admit to giving it a pH test for its purpose, which is to acidify a food to be canned.