Nitrate & Nitrite Free Spiced Mulled Cherries
Warm, jewel-toned, and fragrant with spice, these mulled cherries are the kind of thing that makes your whole kitchen smell like a holiday market. Sweet cherries simmer low and slow in pomegranate juice with Ceylon cinnamon, fresh ginger, turmeric, and a bright strip of orange zest until the liquid reduces into a glossy, spoonable compote. Every single ingredient here is whole and unprocessed, so there's no need to squint at a label wondering what's hiding in the fine print. That matters more than people realize — preserved fruit products and flavored syrups are common culprits for sneaking in additives you'd rather avoid. A splash of apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt round out the flavor beautifully, giving the compote a subtle complexity that goes way beyond a basic fruit sauce. Serve it warm over oatmeal, yogurt, or ice cream, or let it cool and spoon it straight from the jar — it thickens into something almost jammy as it sits.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 lb frozen or fresh sweet cherries, pitted
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 ceylon cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 strip orange zest (about 3 inches), pith removed
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the pomegranate juice, honey, Ceylon cinnamon stick, grated ginger, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, orange zest strip, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey dissolves, about 1 minute.
- 2
Add the cherries and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are tender and the liquid has reduced by about half and coats the back of a spoon, 15 to 18 minutes.
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