adapted from Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters by Kathryn LaSusa Yeomans

Ingredients

2 pounds cherries (sweet or tart)
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
4 1⁄4 cups white wine vinegar
4 cloves
6 peppercorns

Steps

1. Rinse, dry, and pick over the cherries, discarding or eating any blemished ones. Cut the stems down so that they are a half-inch long.
2. If you would like to can the cherries, prepare eight 1-pint canning jars and self-sealing lids in boiling water, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Stir together the sugar, vinegar, cloves, & peppercorns in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over a high flame. Cook the brine for 3 minutes.
4. Pack the cherries into a food-grade plastic or glass container, or pack them into the canning jars.    Pour the hot brine over the cherries, cover, and if canning, process them in a boiling waterbath for 10 minutes. If refrigerating, cover, allow to cool to room temperature, and refrigerate, making sure that they are fully submerged in the liquid. Let sit for 2 weeks before eating, or 2 months if you have canned them.

After opening, the canned cherries will keep refrigerated for a year.
Chef Kathryn Yeomans
The Farmer's Feast
http://thefarmersfeast.me/