Cherry cider, ok to add the actual cherries or just juice/syrup?

[zadamxtr]

I have a small batch of cider in 2nd stage and was thinking of adding some cherry for something a bit different. I picked up a jar of pitted Morello Cherries in syrup:

https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/product/coles-morello-cherries
If I want to add this to my cider, should I just put in the syrup and cherries? Or just the syrup? Or strain the syrup and only add the cherries?

 

[Chalkyt]

My experience is that you need at least 20% cherries or juice to notice the "cherry". My latest has 25% bought cherry juice and there is just a hint of cherry but not much more so I probably wouldn't bother with bought juice again. Next year I may buy some cherries (heaven forbid!) if I decide to go with cherry cider.

In the past I used my own cherries, frozen in January then thawed and added to secondary in May... much better than bought juice but the constant rain last year resulted in root rot and dead cherry trees so it will be a few years before I have my own again.

So, I would suggest putting it all in and possibly freeze it first just to break up the cherries. The SG is probably the same as AJ (about 1.050... mine bought from Wollies was).

For another approach, at a cidermaking seminar some years ago Ralph Wilson (retired from Wilgro, which is now named Batlow Road Cider) said that Wilgro fermented the cherry juice in January then blended it with the cider in May at about 30% cherry)

 

[zadamxtr]

OK thanks! Sounds like I would need quite a lot, thats a shame. I'll keep my eyes open for some bulk cherries instead.

 

[bri11oh34d]

My experience is that you need at least 20% cherries or juice to notice the "cherry". My latest has 25% bought cherry juice and there is just a hint of cherry but not much more so I probably wouldn't bother with bought juice again. Next year I may buy some cherries (heaven forbid!) if I decide to go with cherry cider.

In the past I used my own cherries, frozen in January then thawed and added to secondary in May... much better than bought juice but the constant rain last year resulted in root rot and dead cherry trees so it will be a few years before I have my own again.

So, I would suggest putting it all in and possibly freeze it first just to break up the cherries. The SG is probably the same as AJ (about 1.050... mine bought from Wollies was).

For another approach, at a cidermaking seminar some years ago Ralph Wilson (retired from Wilgro, which is now named Batlow Road Cider) said that Wilgro fermented the cherry juice in January then blended it with the cider in May at about 30% cherry)

So I have two 3# cans of vintner’s harvest sweet cherry puree leftover from another project. How much of that do you think would be good to add for a 5 gallon batch of cherry cider so that there is a nice balance of cherry and apple flavor? I’ll actually probably add close to 6 gallons of juice into my fermenter so that after transferring and kegging I still have close to 5 gallons going in the keg.

I know you said 20%, but it’s apple juice + cherry puree so not sure how that might change things since I’m not using cherry juice.

And at what point in the process? Thinking towards the end of secondary fermentation would be best. Or maybe some in secondary, some at kegging?