Ingredients
The cherries
- 1 kgsour cherries
- albaloo, stoned
- fresh in early summer
- or frozen sour cherries
The syrup
- 800 gsugar
- or to taste
- 300 mlwater
- juice of 1 lemon
- or 1 teaspoon citric acid
To serve
- cold water
- plenty of ice
- a few whole cherries
- mint, optional
The bottles
- clean glass bottles
- sterilised
- with tight lids
Directions
- Use a deep pan rather than shallow. Never lean over it as it boils. Remove them before cooking entirely. It takes real time for a kilo. Wash all the cherries thoroughly.
- Rinse them in a bowl of cold water. Pick out any stalks and leaves. Discard any of them that are damaged. Remove the stone from every cherry. Use a cherry stoner if you have one. It takes real time for a kilo. Work over a bowl to catch the juice. Do not throw any of that juice away.
- Layer the cherries with the sugar. Let them stand for a few hours. Add the water and heat it gently. Put the cherries and sugar in a pan. Add the water if you did not macerate. Warm it gently at the very start. Stir it until it fully dissolves. Bring it to a simmer and hold it. Give it about twenty-five minutes.
- Skim the foam from the surface. Lift it off with a large spoon. Stir it regularly as it simmers. Strain the syrup through a sieve. Press the cherries against the sieve. Do not push the pulp through though.
- Strain it again through a cloth. Return the strained syrup to the pan. Simmer it until it is thick enough. It should coat the back of a spoon. Stir the lemon juice in at the end. Acid stops the sugar crystallising. Add it in off the heat entirely. Wash them in very hot soapy water. One hundred and forty degrees for fifteen minutes.
- Pour the hot syrup into hot bottles. Use a funnel to keep rims clean. A dirty rim stops the lid sealing. Seal them while still genuinely hot. Storing it is straightforward enough.
- Discard it if it shows any mould. Keep the bottles in a dark cupboard. Serving it is done heavily diluted. Pour syrup into a glass of cold water. About one part syrup to five of water. Taste it and adjust from there. Add plenty of ice to the glass. It is drunk genuinely very cold.
- Fill the glass well up with it. Add a few whole cherries to the glass. It is drunk very cold from a glass. Keep it refrigerated after opening.
Technique
- Stone every cherry before cooking. Cherry stones contain compounds that release cyanide when crushed or damaged — whole intact stones pass through harmlessly, but crushed or cooked ones are a different matter, so remove them beforehand and never crush or blend them. Some traditional recipes cook the stones in and strain them out; the atlas takes the more cautious route.
- Boiling sugar syrup is far hotter than boiling water, sticks to skin and keeps burning, and fruit syrup spits as it thickens. Use a deep pan, never lean over it and never touch or taste it hot.
- Warm it gently until the sugar has fully dissolved before raising the heat at all, since undissolved sugar scorches on the base, and stir regularly throughout — fruit syrup catches and a burnt patch ruins the batch.
Substitutions
- Frozen sour cherries work perfectly well and are widely sold; sweet cherries do not substitute at all, since the drink needs the tartness and they are a different species entirely.
- A teaspoon of citric acid replaces the lemon juice and is used in many Iranian kitchens; either stops the sugar crystallising, brightens the colour and sharpens the flavour.
Variations
- Stone the cherries over a bowl to catch the juice, which goes into the syrup, and use a cherry stoner, a straw or an unbent paperclip pushed through from the stem end. Sour cherry juice stains hands and clothing badly and is hard to remove, so wear an apron.
- Press the cherries against the sieve but do not push the pulp through, which clouds the syrup, and strain again through muslin — clarity is much of the appeal here.
- Sterilise the bottles in a low oven and fill them hot with hot syrup, since cold bottles crack and the cooling syrup pulls the partial vacuum that seals the lid. Store them somewhere dark, since light fades the deep red colour, and refrigerate any bottle once opened.
History
Made when sour cherries ripen in early summer and bottled for the year; a standard guest drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sharbat-e albaloo?
Sharbat-e albaloo is a drink from Iran: sour cherry syrup diluted with iced water, deep red and tart. Made when sour cherries ripen in early summer and bottled for the year; a standard guest drink.
How long does Sharbat-e albaloo take to make?
Sharbat-e albaloo takes 30 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 1 litre of syrup. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Sharbat-e albaloo?
Yes, within limits. Frozen sour cherries work perfectly well and are widely sold; sweet cherries do not substitute at all, since the drink needs the tartness and they are a different species entirely. A teaspoon of citric acid replaces the lemon juice and is used in many Iranian kitchens; either stops the sugar crystallising, brightens the colour and sharpens the flavour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sharbat-e albaloo?
Use a deep pan rather than shallow. Never lean over it as it boils. Remove them before cooking entirely. It takes real time for a kilo. Wash all the cherries thoroughly.
