Chef Dimitra
Chios Nerantzi Glyko Koutaliou (Νεράντζι Γλυκό Κουταλιού)
Chios bitter orange peel rolled into tight coils, blanched through clean waters, then preserved in a clear fragrant syrup for the spoon-sweet tray.
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Macedonian Vyssino Glyko Koutaliou (Βύσσινο Γλυκό Κουταλιού)
Created by
Macedonia's sour cherries become the spoon sweet of welcome: whole fruit in clear ruby syrup, thick enough to coat the spoon, never cooked past the moment it sheets.
Desserts
Greek
Make Ahead
Comfort Food
Budget Friendly
45 min
Active Time
45 min cook•13 hr 30 min total
Yield2 x 500ml jars, about 40 spoonfuls
Vyssino glyko koutaliou from Macedonia is the sour-cherry spoon sweet of early summer: whole tart cherries held in a clear ruby syrup, offered one small spoonful at a time with cold water. It isn't jam. The fruit stays whole, the syrup stays bright, and the sweetness is there to carry the sour cherry, not bury it.
The one point that decides the jar is the syrup. Cook it until it sheets from the spoon, then stop. Too loose and the cherries float in thin juice; one minute too far and the sugar starts to turn sandy. Your spoon and your eyes will tell you before any cleverness does.
I make this only when the vyssina are firm and sharp, or with good unsweetened frozen sour cherries if the season has gone. Λίγα και καλά. A few things, and good ones. Once the jars cool, the cherries settle into the syrup like red glass, and a guest can be served properly, not with a dessert plate, just one spoon and a cold glass of water.
Glyka tou koutaliou were the small preserves of Greek hospitality long before sweets could be bought daily: fruit held in sugar and offered as one spoonful with cold water. In Macedonia and Thrace, cooler orchards made sour cherry, vyssino, one of the prized early-summer versions, sharper and clearer than heavier winter preserves. The pitted cherries were often saved by households that also strained the leftover syrup into vyssinada, the sour-cherry cordial served cold in summer.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh sour cherries (vyssina)
Quantity
1.2kg
rinsed, stemmed, and pitted to yield about 1kg fruit
granulated sugar
Quantity
1kg
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
30ml
water (optional)
Quantity
60ml
use only if the macerated cherries look dry
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh sour cherries (vyssina)rinsed, stemmed, and pitted to yield about 1kg fruit | 1.2kg |
| granulated sugar | 1kg |
| fresh lemon juice | 30ml |
| water (optional)use only if the macerated cherries look dry | 60ml |
Equipment Needed
- •cherry pitter
- •wide heavy preserving pot, 28 to 30cm
- •slotted spoon
- •2 sterilized 500ml jars with new lids
Instructions
- 1
Pick and pit
Choose firm sour cherries with tight skins. Rinse, stem, and pit them over a bowl so every drop of juice is saved. Keep the fruit as whole as you can. Bruised cherries cloud the syrup, so cook those into compote another day.
- 2
Rest with sugar
Put the cherries and their juice in a wide heavy pot or glass bowl, scattering the sugar between layers. Cover and leave in a cool place for 8 to 12 hours. The sugar draws juice out of the fruit gently, so you start with cherry syrup instead of plain water and the cherries stay plump.
- 3
Start gently
Set the pot over medium-low heat. If dry sugar remains at the bottom, add up to 60ml water. Warm until the sugar dissolves fully, then bring to a lively simmer. Do not stir once it boils; lift and swirl the pot instead. Skim the foam with a shallow spoon.
- 4
Cook the fruit
Simmer for 10 minutes, just until the cherries are glossy and slightly darker. Lift the cherries into a heatproof bowl with a slotted spoon. Don't chase every drop. The fruit has given what it should; now the syrup can thicken without turning the cherries tough.
- 5
Set the syrup
Boil the syrup over medium-high heat until the bubbles look small and close and the syrup sheets from a cool metal spoon, about 12 to 18 minutes. If you use a thermometer, look for 104 to 105C. Stop as soon as the last drops join into a flat fall. Past that point, the sugar has no manners; it turns grainy in the jar.
If sugar crystals form on the pot sides, wipe them down with a wet pastry brush. Don't scrape them back into the syrup. - 6
Finish together
Return the cherries and any resting juice to the syrup. Add the lemon juice. Simmer for 2 minutes, shaking the pot once, until the fruit glistens and sits evenly in the syrup. Take the pot off the heat and wait 5 minutes so the bubbles settle.
- 7
Jar and store
Ladle the hot spoon sweet into hot sterilized jars, leaving 5mm headspace. Seal with new lids. For cupboard storage, process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes; otherwise cool and refrigerate. Let the jars stand 24 hours before serving, so the fruit and syrup settle properly.
A jar that does not seal goes in the fridge and should be used within 6 weeks.
Chef Tips
- •Make this when sour cherries arrive in late May and June in northern Greece. Sweet cherries don't give the same clean acidity, so if the season has passed, use unsweetened frozen sour cherries with their thawed juice.
- •Do not double the batch in one tall pot. A wide pot lets water leave quickly; a deep pot keeps the fruit cooking too long and darkens the syrup.
- •Serve it the old way: one spoonful on a small plate with a cold glass of water. After that, yes, spoon it over thick yogurt or kaimaki ice cream, but the guest spoon is the proper first serving.
- •Processed, well-sealed jars keep in a cool cupboard for about 6 months. Once opened, refrigerate and always use a clean dry spoon.
Advance Preparation
- •Pit and layer the cherries with sugar 8 to 12 hours ahead; the syrup begins there.
- •Sterilize the jars while the syrup cooks and keep them hot until filling.
- •The finished spoon sweet is better after 24 hours, once the cherries have settled into the syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 35g)
Calories
110 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
1 mg
Total Carbohydrates
28 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
27 g
Protein
0 g
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