Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherries - 400g Jar

by Luxardo

• Each jar is 50% candied cherries - 50% syrup.
• All natural deep red color.
• No thickening agents or preservatives used.
• Shelf life of 3 years.
• Net Weight: 400g. (14.11oz)

Product Description

These little gourmet cherries will make a big difference in every cocktail they touch. Each jar contains ridiculously delicious, all-natural whole pitted cherries, candied with Marasca syrup. Luxardo is a premium name in mixology, known for their excellence in creating infused liqueurs. They've perfected the cocktail cherry, transforming it from a garnish to an essential ingredient. It's amazing how one little piece of fruit can kick ordinary drinks into overdrive. An exclusive Italian import, they've been used by top pastry chefs around the globe for years. If you really care about your cocktails, you've gotta try these incredible cherries. Also available in 6lb or 12lb cans. In stock and ready to ship. Features: Each jar is 50% candied cherries, 50% syrup. All natural deep red color. No thickening agents or preservatives used. Shelf life of 3 years. Specs: Net Weight: 400 g (14.11 oz). Approximately 70 cherries per jar. Imported from Italy. Ingredients: Marasca Cherries, sugar, Masasca cherry juice, glucose, flavors.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2 x 2 x 4 inches ; 12.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B001CDOBCM
• UPC: 187229127289 845033014842
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,732 in Grocery & Gourmet Food (See Top 100 in Grocery & Gourmet Food)
  • #1 in Grocery & Gourmet Food > Pantry Staples > Canned & Jarred Food > Fruits > Cherries

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 58 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable cherry taste November 28, 2009

By J. B Kraft VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

Okay, maybe it's not exactly unbelievable, because it is exactly what good maraschino cherries looked and tasted like when I was a kid. They are dark. The syrup is thick and dark. The aroma is the essence of cherries and their presence in a cocktail is magical -- taking cherries from a flavorless, if colorful, garnish, to another layer of delicious bouquet and taste.

Unless you are over 45, it is quite possibly you never tasted a maraschino cherry like these

While the price is not inexpensive, the value, in terms of what is added to any drink or recipe with these, is quite high. Two of these cherries will outpower a dozen of those bright red "things". And don't let cocktails be the only use. Your children deserve to experience what a "cherry" cola or other soft-drink "should" taste like, or an over-the-top sundae or banana split. Similarly, I believe I am going to get my wife to make a Schwartzwalder Kirchtorte (Black Forest Cherry Cake) with these to really experience the sublime bliss that is cherry and chocolate.

They muddle in cocktails extremely well and infuse the entire drink with an exquisite hint of cherry. Old Fashionds and Manhattans become more sublime, and cherries suddenly hold their own with oranges, lemons and other fruits in a cocktail.

1-23-2013 -- NOTE ON SHELF LIFE
Unopened, these will last a year. A open jar of these cherries should last in your bar about 3-6 months. However, this past year I decided to store them in the refrigerator. It did not hurt the flavor but after a while, the syrup started to harden into granulated sugar. So, if you plan on using a jar in 3 months or so, leave them covered in your bar. If you think it will take longer, refrigerate, but let the cherries and syrup come out to "breathe" at room temperature before using. The syrup and muddling will infuse your cocktails better then.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable taste April 10, 2009

By capefearcinema

Amazon Verified Purchase

Like nearly everyone I know, I grew up with the neon red cherries. They had a distinctive taste, and maybe the distinctive taste made me think they were good. Try these, and you'll understand what the other reviewers are raving about. Incredible, densely-flavored and delicious. They're expensive enough you'll probably save them for your special cocktails, but you'll be glad you did.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Aesthetically pleasing, but unpleasantly candied. August 29, 2012

By M. Trutt

I purchased this product after reading the great reviews here on Amazon and on cocktail-oriented websites. Having spent a good deal of time experimenting with different recipes to make my own cocktail cherries, I was eager to try this classic product. I very much expected to love these. Unfortunately, I found these a little disappointing, and I thought I'd share a more measured evaluation with other Amazon readers.

Visually: The Luxardo cherries look great; nearly black in color and coated in a very thick dark red syrup. They're also small; maybe half the diameter of a bing cherry that you might buy in the produce aisle. I think they're somewhat smaller than the commonly available cheap pink maraschino cherries.

Aroma: They smell very nice. Like cherry soda, I guess.

Texture: They're quite firm. When you bite into them, there's a slight "pop" before they dissolve into sugary goo. It's a little weird if you're expecting the texture of fruit.

Taste: This is my big complaint. Yes, there's a nice cherry flavor, but it's completely overshadowed by the fact that they are SWEET. I mean unbelievably, mind-blowingly, unpleasantly SWEET. They are a mouthful of pure cherry-tinged SUGAR. I hadn't quite realized this from reading the earlier reviews, and I was expecting something like a slightly sweetened natural cherry flavor. Make no mistake: this product is candy, and it no longer has any similarity to the texture and flavor of an actual cherry.

I purchased this product to dress up our cocktails, but I don't really want to drop a lump of candy into my manhattans. However I didn't want to give up on this expensive product, so I've tried an experiment to try to salvage them: I've poured off most of the syrup from the bottle and topped it off with unsweetened brandy. I'll let it sit for a few days in the fridge, and then I'll check back to see if they're more palatable. I'm hoping the booze will temper the cloying sweetness of the product.

In the meantime, we've gone back to using our home-made cocktail cherries. They actually taste like cherries.

UPDATE April 18, 2013: BADA BING!!! I found a different brand cherry that I'm much happier with: "Bada Bing" cherries are large bing cherries, sold in a jar with a thin, sweet syrup.
The cherries are big and firm with the taste and texture of a real cherry. What's more, they still have stems on them so they really look like a cherry should. Again, I poured off about 3/4 of the syrup and replaced it with unsweetened brandy. The result is perfect. It makes an attractive, slightly sweetened, slightly boozy, cocktail cherry. Done! Just what I wanted! By the way, Amazon is charging more than EIGHT times the cost that my local liquor store charges for a jar of Bada Bing cherries. So you might want to shop elsewhere.

If you prefer a more candy-like texture, then the Luxardos are fine; we used them too after replacing most of the syrup with brandy. I'd also like to suggest that you try "Amarena Fabri", (packaged in a white ceramic jar). These are highly similar to the Luxardos, with the same attractive color and size and a similar rich syrup. I think they're slightly more cherry-like in texture. Really, they're practically the same product, but I preferred the Amarenas by slight margin to Luxardo. And I much prefer the Bada Bings over either of them.