Cherry lemonade concentrate captures the bright flavor of summer cherries in a pantry-ready jar you can use year-round. Stir a portion into cold water for a quick glass of cherry lemonade any time you want — no fresh cherries required.
This recipe has been reviewed for safety and accuracy by a Master Food Preserver certified through the University of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Cherry trees produce a brief, intense harvest window each summer, and preserving that flavor makes it possible to enjoy cherries long after the season ends. A variety of canning preparations—jellies, jams, pie fillings, and whole fruit—help stretch the harvest. A drink concentrate is another excellent option: it places cherry flavor where you might not expect it and is simple to store and use.
Unlike jam or jelly, this concentrate is not a spread. It’s a sweet-tart base intended for dilution: keep it on the shelf, and when you want a drink, mix one part concentrate with three parts cold water (or adjust to taste). Because the cherries are converted to juice, there’s no need to pit them first, making the concentrate an efficient way to process a large harvest quickly.
This cherry lemonade concentrate follows the same fruit-puree canning guidance used for other lemonade concentrates. The method and processing times are consistent with established home canning recommendations, so once you’ve made one concentrate you’ll recognize the routine when you try others.
Cherries are treated slightly differently from berry purees: you cook the fruit and extract juice, then combine that juice with lemon and sugar. The result is a clear, flavorful base that pours beautifully into a glass.
Notes from My Kitchen
My sour cherry trees ripen in a sudden rush that’s hard to keep up with. Pitting enough cherries for jam can take a long time, so when the crop is heavy I favor recipes that skip pitting. A steam juicer lets me turn a large batch of cherries into juice while I work on other preserves, and the juice goes straight into the concentrate without extra trimming or sorting.
I keep several pints on the shelf for winter: one pint of concentrate stirred into a half-gallon of water fills a pitcher, making a small batch last the week. Kids and adults alike reach for it on hot afternoons, or when the taste of July feels like a welcome treat in the depths of winter.
This recipe is written for lemon, but you can swap lime for lemon to make a cherry limeade concentrate. That simple substitution changes the citrus character while keeping the same canning method and processing times.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Canning Cherry Lemonade Concentrate
- Recipe Type: Fruit Drink Concentrate
- Canning Method: Water bath canning
- Prep/Cook Time: About 30 minutes plus time to extract juice
- Canning Time: 15 minutes (adjust for altitude)
- Yield: About 5 pints
- Jar Sizes: Half pint, pint, or quart
- Headspace: 1/4 inch
- Ingredients Overview: Cherry juice, lemon juice, and sugar
- Difficulty: Easy — juice the fruit, warm with sugar, and process
Cherry Lemonade Concentrate Ingredients
This concentrate uses just three components. Each plays a clear role: cherry juice provides flavor and color, lemon juice supplies acidity and the lemonade profile, and sugar tempers the tartness to create a balanced drink base.
- Cherries: Tart (sour) cherries give the most pronounced cherry flavor, but sweet, black, or Rainier cherries will also work and will alter the final character.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh or bottled lemon juice supplies the tart backbone; strain fresh juice to remove pulp and seeds.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens and balances the lemon and cherry flavors. Sugar is for taste, not preservation, so adjust to preference.
Use plain lemon juice with nothing added — either freshly squeezed and well strained for the best flavor, or bottled lemon juice when convenience and consistent acidity matter.
Adjust the Ratio to Your Taste
The ratio in this recipe is flexible for flavor. Both cherry juice and lemon juice are safe to can using the same instructions and times, so you can favor more cherry or more lemon depending on personal preference. Sugar levels can be increased or decreased because its role is taste adjustment rather than preservation.
If you prefer an especially clear concentrate, strain the cherry juice a second time through a fine cloth, but understand that finer straining reduces yield slightly. The concentrate should pour clear when the juice is properly strained.
Yield Notes
A single batch of concentrate typically uses:
- 4 cups cherry juice (about 3 pounds of tart cherries or 4 pounds of sweet cherries)
- 4 cups lemon juice (about 16–20 lemons or bottled)
- 6 cups granulated sugar
This usually yields roughly 5 pints of concentrate, though yields vary with cherry juiciness and extraction efficiency.
How to Make Cherry Lemonade Concentrate
After you extract the cherry juice and strain the lemon juice, the concentrate comes together quickly. There’s no long cooking or gel point to watch — simply warm and mix until the sugar dissolves, then jar and process.
In short: juice lemons, extract cherry juice, combine juices with sugar, heat gently until hot and well mixed, then ladle into jars and process in a water bath canner.
Juice and Strain the Lemons
Juice lemons and strain thoroughly to remove seeds and excessive pulp. Lemon pulp can become bitter over time, so a clear, well-strained lemon juice improves the final concentrate.
Juice the Cherries
Extract cherry juice by cooking cherries until they release their liquid, or use a steam juicer. There is no need to pit the fruit before cooking because pits, skins, and pulp are strained out after cooking. Pour the cooked fruit into a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth and allow the juice to drip through. Avoid pressing the bag if you want a clear concentrate, since squeezing forces pulp through the cloth.
Heat the Concentrate
Combine cherry juice, strained lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently with frequent stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture reaches about 190°F — hot and near simmer, but not boiling. The goal is a thoroughly blended, hot mixture ready to fill jars.
Canning Cherry Lemonade Concentrate
Because cherry juice is included, processing times follow the recommended fruit-puree guidance. Prepare a water bath canner and keep jars hot until filling. Ladle the hot concentrate into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, center lids, and tighten bands to fingertip tight.
Process jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes at elevations under 1,000 feet (see altitude adjustments further below). After processing, turn off the heat and let jars remain in the canner for 5 minutes before removing to a towel to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check seals, refrigerate any unsealed jars, and store sealed jars in a cool pantry. Refrigerate after opening.
Note: This recipe follows fruit-puree canning times. Do not can this in half-gallon jars; quart is the largest recommended size. The concentrate can also be frozen in freezer-safe containers with 1 inch headspace.
Waterbath Canning Altitude Adjustments
Adjust processing time for altitude as follows:
- Under 1,000 feet: 15 minutes for half pints, pints, and quarts
- 1,001 to 6,000 feet: 20 minutes for half pints, pints, and quarts
- Above 6,000 feet: 25 minutes for half pints, pints, and quarts
Once jars are sealed and shelf-stable, you’re ready to turn the concentrate back into lemonade any time you like.
Serving Ideas
To reconstitute, mix 1 part concentrate with 3 parts water. A pint (2 cups) of concentrate makes roughly a half gallon (8 cups) of prepared lemonade. For convenience, pour a pint into a half-gallon jar and fill with cold water.
Try sparkling water for a fizzy cherry soda, add a splash to iced tea, or freeze diluted concentrate into popsicles. Undiluted concentrate can serve as a mixer for cocktails or mocktails. A few jars make a thoughtful summer gift when tied with ribbon.
Cherry Lemonade FAQs
A pint (2 cups) of concentrate yields about 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of prepared lemonade when mixed 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water.
Yes. The cherries are cooked and strained to extract juice; this is where pits, skins, and pulp are removed. Use a jelly bag or multiple layers of cheesecloth. Do not press the bag if you want a clear concentrate; a second fine strain yields an even clearer result but reduces yield slightly.
Either fresh or bottled lemon juice will work. Fresh, well-strained juice offers the best flavor. If using bottled juice, choose plain lemon juice with no added ingredients for consistent acidity and flavor.
Cherry season is short, so having several reliable preserving methods helps you enjoy the fruit year-round. In addition to this concentrate, consider canning pie filling or whole cherries in syrup for baking and desserts.
Cherry Canning Recipes
Sour Cherry Jam
Cherry Jelly
Canning Cherry Limeade Concentrate
If you tried this Cherry Lemonade Concentrate recipe, leave a star rating and share your experience in the comments below — feedback helps others and helps refine future recipes.
Cherry Lemonade Concentrate
Equipment
- Water bath canner
- Jelly strainer with bag or several layers of cheesecloth
- Canning funnel
- Canning jars, lids, and bands
Ingredients
To extract the cherry juice
- 3 lbs tart cherries (or slightly more sweet cherries)
- 1/2 cup water (for stovetop method, optional)
For the concentrate
- 4 cups cherry juice (extracted from the cherries above)
- 4 cups lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- 6 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
Juice the cherries
- Rinse cherries and discard any that are soft or moldy. Do not pit—the pits will be removed during straining.
- Stovetop method: Place cherries and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high until juices begin to burst, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes until the fruit collapses and releases juice.
- Steam juicer method: Steam cherries for 45–60 minutes until juice runs freely. No additional water is needed with this method.
- Pour cooked cherries into a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth set over a bowl and allow juice to drip through. Avoid pressing the bag if you want a clear concentrate. Discard the solids.
Make and can the concentrate
- Prepare a water bath canner, jars, lids, and bands; keep jars hot until filling.
- Juice lemons and strain well to remove seeds and pulp.
- Combine cherry juice, strained lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Heat gently until the mixture reaches about 190°F. Do not boil.
- Ladle hot concentrate into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, center lids, and apply bands fingertip tight.
- Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude). After processing, let jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes, then remove and cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check seals and refrigerate any unsealed jars.
- To serve, mix 1 part concentrate with 3 parts cold water.
Notes
Yield: About 5 pints, depending on how much juice you extract from your cherries.
Cherries: Tart cherries are preferred for strong cherry flavor, but other varieties will work. Roughly 3 lbs tart or 4 lbs sweet cherries yields about 4 cups of juice.
Lemon juice: Fresh or bottled works; strain fresh juice for best flavor. Use plain lemon juice with no added ingredients.
Straining: Strain the cooked cherries through a jelly bag or cheesecloth to remove pits, skins, and pulp. A finer second strain produces a clearer concentrate but reduces volume slightly.
Reconstituting: One pint of concentrate makes about a half gallon of lemonade when mixed 1:3. Adjust strength to taste or mix with sparkling water for fizz.
Storage: Properly sealed jars keep up to a year in the pantry. Refrigerate after opening. For freezing, use freezer-safe containers with 1 inch headspace; frozen concentrate keeps about 6 months.
Altitude adjustments: Process half pints, pints, and quarts for 15 minutes below 1,000 ft; 20 minutes between 1,000 and 6,000 ft; 25 minutes above 6,000 ft. Quart is the largest recommended jar size.
