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  • Maraschino Cherries
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Consumer Information

The Making of a Maraschino Cherry

As explained in “Lesson from the Orchard,” maraschino cherries begin as a fresh harvested cherry. Shortly after harvest, the cherries are placed in a brine solution made of water, sodium metabisulfite, citric acid and calcium chloride. The sodium metabisulfite, when mixed with water, is transformed into sodium dioxide, and this preserves the cherry. The calcium is added to help create a firm, crisp texture, and the citric acid is used to balance the pH of the solution. This brining process is similar to the way cucumbers are brined and made into pickles. After curing in the brine, the natural color and some of the sugar is removed from the cherry.

After brining, the cherries are sorted by size and then pitted. The pits are removed by a machine which pushes a large star shaped needle through the cherry, pushing the pit out the other side. The cherry is now ready to be sweetened and colored into a maraschino. This occurs in large processing vats where a constant stream of cold water rinses the brine from the cherry, and then corn syrup and red food color (FD&C 40) are slowly added. The cherries are then packed into jars, along with flavored syrup and a small amount of preservatives. At Gray & Company, each jar is vacuum sealed and pasteurized to ensure the safety of the finished product.

Maraschino cherries – a history lesson

Lessons from the orchard

How a maraschino is made

Ingredients, nutrition facts & shelf life