Are Maraschino Cherries Made From Real Cherries

Let’s face it: the maraschino cherry is a liar. It sits on your sundae, glowing like a radioactive jewel. But is it even a real cherry?

Spoiler alert: Yes, it is. But it’s a cherry that has been through a wild, weird, and frankly questionable journey. Think of it as the Frankenstein of the fruit world.

The Cherry in Question

It starts with a real cherry. Usually, it’s a pale, sour variety called the Royal Ann or a Rainier. These are not the sweet, plump Bing cherries you eat fresh.

These cherries are hard, tart, and totally unappealing on their own. They lack the vibrant red color we all expect. They’re basically the wallflowers of the cherry orchard.

The Mad Science of Making One

Here’s where it gets bananas. First, the cherries are bleached. Yes, bleached. They soak in a brine of calcium chloride and sulfur dioxide to turn them a ghostly white.

Why? To remove their natural color and firm them up. They become little rubbery orbs. It’s like giving the cherry a complete chemical makeover.

Then comes the dye job. They’re bathed in Red #40 (or similar food coloring). That’s why they’re that obnoxiously bright, stop-sign red.

Finally, they soak in a sugary syrup. Often, that syrup is flavored with almond extract. That familiar "cherry" taste? It’s actually more like almond because of a chemical called benzaldehyde.

What Are Maraschino Cherries?

Fun fact: Real marasca cherries (the original, fancy kind) are preserved in maraschino liqueur. The cheap ones you get at the grocery store? Those are sugar, dye, and chemicals in a jar.

The Great Stem Controversy

Have you ever noticed the stem on a maraschino cherry? It’s a status symbol. A high-end cherry keeps its stem through the brutal processing.

Processors tie cherries in nets before the bath to keep the stems attached. If the stem falls off, it gets demoted to "fruit salad grade." Poor little stemless guy.

You can tie a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue? That means the cherry was good quality. A tough, flexible stem survived the chemical party.

Why Do We Even Eat These Things?

They are a total science experiment. They are not "natural" in any sense of the word. And yet, we love them.

They’re in cocktails for a reason. A boozy cherry at the bottom of a Manhattan or a Shirley Temple is a tiny, sweet treasure hunt. It’s a little burst of nostalgia.

Real #Maraschino Cherries from my blogpost: http://ambradambra

They complete the visual of a sundae. Without that neon red blob, a banana split looks sad and beige. It needs the pop of fake color.

Some people hate them. They call them "chemical cherries" or "candy in disguise." But you can’t deny their iconic power.

The Quirky Truth Bombs

Most maraschino cherries have ZERO fruit juice. The almond flavor is making you think of cherry. Your brain is being tricked.

A 2016 FDA ruling let them keep the name "cherry" even after bleaching. So they’re legally considered a cherry. It’s a loophole the size of a pimento.

That red liquid in the jar? It’s mostly high fructose corn syrup and citric acid. Don’t drink it. Seriously. It’s a sugar bomb.

Real Maraschino Cherries Recipe | Ted Allen | Food Network

The pimento in a pimento-stuffed olive is actually a tiny strip of sweet red pepper. But the red in a cheap cocktail cherry is always Red #40. No pimentos here.

You can find "real" ones now. Look for "Luxardo" cherries. They’re dark, syrupy, and taste like actual boozy fruit. They cost a fortune. Worth it.

The Final Verdict

So, are maraschino cherries real? Yes. But barely. They start real, then surrender to science and dye.

They are the cyborgs of the produce aisle. Part plant, part chemistry set. And honestly, that’s what makes them so fun to talk about.

Next time you pop one into a drink, remember: you’re eating a bleached, dyed, sugar-soaked fruit that was rescued from a life of being too pale. That’s a pretty weird story for a garnish, right?

Go ahead. Take a bite. Just don’t think about the sulfur dioxide too much. It ruins the magic.