Maraschino cherries are awesome for Shirley Temples, but I had no idea how they were made. Basically, they start out pretty standard. They grow on cherry trees and are harvested. After harvesting, they get packed into a chemical brine. The brine strips the color from the cherries, so they are then mixed with corn syrup and food coloring to both sweeten them and give them back their color. Why strip them of their color? Apparently, it’s necessary because it keeps the cherries plump and firm.
I almost wish I didn’t know this, because I wanted so badly to believe they were just sweetened cherries. Aw well, another food mystery solved.
What do you think, can you get past the chemical brine and added coloring?
~Mavis
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Heidi P says
I’ve always avoided this type of cherry. I was told at a young age that they were filled with embalming fluid. So this “chemical brine” doesn’t shock me. Although I would like to know what exactly is in a chemical brine?????
Jo Miller says
My mom soaked them in lye for months once the color was gone she would wash them thoroughly and then add color with sugar water and seal them up.
Crystal Rose says
I can get past it since I almost never have them. If you’re not a fan you can experiment with making your own I’m sure.
Carol says
Thanks for being our field reporter, Mavis…..hugs!
Kathy says
No, I’m done with maraschino cherries. If you find out anything bad about brie cheese, please, please don’t post it.
wendy steele says
Hilarious. I agree!
Judy says
Um no I can’t get past the chemical or dye and especially the corn syrup!!
I never easy those anyways and now I know why! Yuck!
Cecily says
I make my own maraschino cherries when I can get the right variety of sweet cherry (Royal Anne). The chemicals don’t bother me too much since I only have the occasional cherry in a drink or on a sundae but homemade ones taste way better.
Andrew says
Of course, my kids love these things. Pickles are made in a chemical brine. So is sauerkraut and kimchi.
Karen says
My daughter thought this was how cherries came off trees until I showed her real cherries. 🙂 It took her a while to appreciate fresh cherries but she does love them now. Of course, hearing it from me didn’t mean a thing, some stranger had to tell her to try them before she would. Why is it that kids need to hear these things from someone else?
Tracy Sch says
I never cared for maraschino cherries in the first place…maybe my body was trying to tell me something 🙂
SJ Smith says
Would you believe I bought a giant jar at one of those ‘box stores’ over 5 years ago. Over time, they were doled out into pint canning jars, with no processing. I tossed the jar at the back of the fridge to make room for other food. I’m pretty sure they were still good. STILL GOOD. Define good? Okay, not rotten or spoiled. So, whatever they do to them sure does work. I just figured if I hadn’t eaten them yet, it was a waste of space and energy to keep them in the refrigerator?
PattyB says
I bought a large jar of these one time. I dumped out all the juice and poured in Irish whiskey. When the liquor was all absorbed, I poured in more Irish whiskey. They absorbed that too. Then I took them to work on Christmas Eve. Everyone put them in their coffee and by noon, depending on how many cups of coffee one drank, one would end up a bit tipsy. You can bet that was decades ago! 😉
Dale says
Just read an article about and an excerpt from the book “Tomatoland”. I had no idea! Recommend reading at least the article before you buy another tomato from the supermarket.
Tad says
I have made my own that does require a brine but this is a brine is a simple salt and water brine for a day or two and use sugar to sweeten the syrup. Still cant get around the red food coloring though.
Shannon says
“FD&C Red Number 1 and 4, and FD&C Yellow Number 1 through 4 were removed from the approved list in 1960. The ban on Red Number 4 was lifted in 1965 to allow the coloring of maraschino cherries, which are considered mainly decorative and not a foodstuff.” — wikipedia
I’ve eaten these by the handful as a kid….they are NOT decorative.
Ellen in Clackamas says
Years ago I worked in a fruit packing plant in Bingen, Washington packing out Bing and Lambert cherries. The culls (bad, over-ripe) cherries went in a discard box but the “green” ones were put on a separate belt. When I asked where they were going the boss said they were going to a plant to make the maraschino cherries…and he told me how they made them (same way mentioned here). I was amazed..had no idea. Guess I didn’t think where they really had come from..but I had a hard time convincing other people thats how they were made! Apparently we all thought they grew on tress!
Jennifer says
I saw a video on how maraschino cherries are made and have not eaten one since. It is truly gross how they bleach the cherries! I always thought they had just added coloring and sugar.
The Couch Potato says
I stopped eating these a long time ago (mostly because I didn’t like the taste, partially because of the dye) but I always forget to ask shops not to put them on my Sundays or milkshakes.
mrs spock says
My mom has a special recipe for a cherry cake that is made with maraschino cherries, but I can’t use them because my daughter has a life threatening reaction to red dye. Wish there was a homemade version for those times a sweet cherry is needed for special occasions.
Cecily says
I make my own maraschino cherries using a dye made from red beets. It is quite a bit of work and takes several days to make them, though worth it IMO.
Dan says
Ok so it looks like the “chemical brine” is sulfur dioxide and calcium chloride. Sulfur dioxide is is also found in wine, thats why it says contains sulfides on the bottle. Calcium chloride is also used to make pickles and other canned foods. From my research, looks like most of the brine is washed out when the sugar and color is added. I probably eat about 10 of these in a whole year, they taste good and are not toxic in such low amounts.
Kristina@calwalnut.com says
Ha! Nice to see someone who has got a clear head about “chemicals”. Olives are also given a chemical bath when they are processed. Personally, I use a lye bath for olives. I think we all need to take a deep breath about the “chemicals” in our food, and realize that many of them are common ingredients with big, scary sounding names. Case in point: Dihydrogen Monoxide. Drink too much of this stuff, and it can kill you, and it is a major cause of death among children in our nation, but we are not up in arms about it enough!
http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html
(hint: this is a joke site)
Karen Isley says
I have recently been avoiding them as well. There are a handful of brands that do make them that are natural and don’t last a 1000 years. They are harder to find, but you can find them. In liquor stores is mostly where I see them in the condiments sections, olives, pickled asparagus, ect.
Natasha says
I love them for quite a few things. The brine doesn’t bother me because lots of foods are brined pickles sourkrout etc. And the coloring doesn’t bother me because well i love red velvet cake and HELLO red coloring lol
Dianne Fitzmaurice says
Not sure what you mean
Dianne Fitzmaurice says
Perhaps commercial varieties use chemicals but check the label. But good sauerkraut should only be made with salt; and pickles like dill with a salt water brine. Some pickles add vinegar.