No. 3258 — Cherry and Sweet Cherry Preserve
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 3258 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Wash the fruit, remove stems and stones. Put a spoonful of water in a preserve pan, add the cherries with their juice, cover with sugar and cook until the berries are done. For 1 pound pitted fruit use 1½ pounds sugar.
Alternatively stone cherries carefully without breaking the fruit and pour iced water over them in a sieve. For each pound whole fruit take 1½–2 pounds sugar and 1 glass water per pound sugar. Boil the syrup, add the fruit and cook as usual.
Another method is to briefly boil the cherries in syrup and pour them into a stone bowl. The next day drain the syrup, bring to a boil, add the fruit again and cook until done. Cool in a stone bowl and pack into jars.
Or cool the cherries with iced water, place in a stone bowl and pour over boiled, cooled thick syrup. On the next day drain and boil the syrup, add the cherries and finish cooking.