Dublin Core

Title

Pineapple-Cherry Holiday Delight

Subject

maraschino cherries

pineapple

sugar

starter

Description

Pineapple-Cherry Holiday Delight

1 lb. jar cherries (maraschino)
1 can (37¢) chunk pineapple
1 cup sugar
1 " starter

Drain pineapple and cherries.
Place the pineapple, cherries,
sugar and starter in gallon
jar and let stand one week.
(over)

Back:
2 nd wk. repeat
3 rd " "
4 th " "

5 th ready to eat

Jan. 16/66
(Tillie)

---

# Pineapple-Cherry Holiday Delight
*A traditional "Friendship Fruit" fermented fruit starter dish*

## Ingredients

- 1 lb jar maraschino cherries
- 1 can chunk pineapple
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup starter (see Editor's Notes)

## Instructions

1. Drain pineapple and cherries.
2. Place the pineapple, cherries, sugar, and starter in a gallon jar. Cover loosely (do not seal airtight) and let stand at room temperature one week, stirring every few days.
3. 2nd week: Add same amounts of pineapple, cherries, sugar, and starter. Stir, cover loosely, and let stand another week.
4. 3rd week: Repeat.
5. 4th week: Repeat.
6. 5th week: Fruit is ready to use.

## Serving Suggestions

- Drain fruit and serve over vanilla ice cream
- Use drained fruit in a dense holiday pound or fruit cake
- Serve alongside ham or holiday dishes
- Strain liquid and serve as a sweet cordial
- Reserve 1 cup of liquid as starter to pass along to friends

## Editor's Notes

**What is a "starter"?**
This is a traditional "Friendship Fruit" recipe — a self-perpetuating fermented fruit mixture passed between friends and neighbors, similar in concept to a sourdough starter. Each batch produces enough liquid to share a cup with someone else to begin their own batch.

**If you don't have a starter:**
Substitute 1 cup brandy or rum. The alcohol approximates what a mature fermented starter would contribute. After one week of fermentation with the fruit and sugar, the mixture will develop its own active starter character.

**Storage:**
Keep at room temperature throughout the process. Cover loosely — the jar must not be sealed airtight as the active fermentation produces gas.

**Stirring:**
Stir every few days throughout each week to keep fermentation active and even.

**"Ready to eat" (week 5):**
Refers to the fermented fruit, not the liquid. The liquid can be strained off separately as a sweet boozy cordial or reserved as starter for the next batch.

**The "friendship" tradition:**
Recipes like this were passed between neighbors and family members along with a cup of active starter — the gift of the starter was the gift of the recipe. Without received starter, the recipe is incomplete, which is why the from-scratch substitution above is useful for modern cooks.

Creator

Paula Guffey

Source

RCA0003 - VTG LG Wood Recipe Box Dove Tail w/Metal Hinges Full Of Recipes & Handwritten (eBay)

Date

January 16, 1966

Contributor

Tillie

Rights

Personal/Family

Format

Handwritten recipe card

Identifier

RCA0003-20260513-0143

Coverage

Indiana, US