Royal Harvest Maraschino Northwest Noire Cherries with Stem, 72 Ounce | Made with Natural Ingredients | Non-GMO | Premium Dark Cherries

The natural bordeaux maraschino cherries that we received are great! Head-and-shoulders above the regular type we find in local stores; no dyes, no preservatives, less sugar, and firm. Love them. I have read reviews about the natural variety not being the 'traditional' bright red as those in grocery stores. Of course they aren't - those are laden with artificial colors and dyes, these are not! I have also read testimonies that although the person was happy with them when they first arrived, after a few months they developed mold. A 72 ounce jar of these type cherries is huge, and unless used regularly in a reasonable amount of time, of course they won't remain fresh .... they don't have preservatives in them. We use them mainly for refreshment drinks, including Manhattans and Old Fashions; what a wonderful addition they make! When I got mine, I put them in air-tight glass jars; it required two 3/4liter canning jars to hold the 72 ounce tub of cherries. I filled the jar with cherries first, then poured in the juice; enough juice to completely fill both jars of cherries, with about 1/2 cup or so extra I put into another container so that it wouldn't be wasted. We'll certainly be buying more of these wonderful cherries because we feel that the price ($19+) was well worth cherries of this quality, without harmful dyes or preservatives, and because they taste soooo good. Although we're really pleased with the Bordeaux variety, we'll try the regular natural maraschino ones next time, because we're curious about good they are. If I still baked, I'd use them in loaf breads, they'd be awesome in fruit cakes, and for decorating. Hands down the best cherries for cocktails. UPDATE: 11/19/18 We went ahead and ordered a jar of the regular natural variety. While we like them and are head-and-shoulders above regular store-bought maraschinos (they are firm, not quite as sweet, and don't have the horrid dyes, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients), both hubby and I prefer the bordeaux variety for our purposes. The natural variety is somewhat sweeter than the bordeaux. Color is not as vibrant as standard store-bought, but that is because they don't have the dyes. Both varieties (bordeaux and natural) are by far a tastier, healthier, and more economical choice.

Value: uhh kind of a no brainer people - 72 oz at this price? Yes please. 5 stars. Flavor: rich, yet not as sweet as your typical maraschino/luxardo. Very tasty - in fact, it's my personal favorite cocktail cherry now. Can definitely sense the bordeaux in the mix, and it helps to add a little more complexity to any cocktails/mixed drinks that utilize the syrup. 5 stars. Shelf Life: short - and when I say short, I just mean in comparison to other cherries out there, BUT that's to be expected as these are natural and have no preservatives. 3 stars. Last Thoughts: prior to purchasing, I found a great review by another buyer that suggested breaking up the 72 oz jug into smaller jars/tupperware, keeping one in the fridge, and the rest in the freezer. I divided mine into three mason jars, and I just started on my second one last night. They're still great after being thawed, so I will happily pass on this tip to the next buyers. Yes it's a little more work, but for the value I get I don't mind at all. No regrets - just buy it!

Cocktail bar owner here. We buy these from Amazon when we cannot source them from our usual wholesaler. Our customers love them and are often asking where they can get them. Surprisingly, many people are used to maraschino cherries in their cocktails and fall in love with good cherries. These are every bit as good as Luxardo cherries - in my opinion - but at a better price. I have seen some people talk about the stems falling off - in my experience having gone through a LOT of these cherries, I'd estimate 90-95% have the stem intact. I don't say that as a good or bad thing as some people prefer no stems. I like the look of stems intact, so we set aside the ones without stems for drinks where the cherries are muddled. I hope my positive review doesn't increase the price... Cheers!

UPDATE UPDATED AGAIN! OH NO! Out of stock! "Don't know when or if they will be restocked"! Help! I am totally hooked on these cherries and nothing else comes close! My drinkie-poo will never be the same :-( I found a workaround (which Amazon probably will not let me post here): I got TWO 72 ounce containers for $25 each, delivered, from an outfit in California called (believe it or not) Rebel Smuggling. Fellow addicts might want to check it out. UPDATED UPDATE! They're back here on Amazon for 19.99! Do you think my complaint about the price made them lower the price by 5 bucks? I wish, but hey I'm buying 'em again! UPDATE: I still like these cherries but the price just went up 5 bucks so now, not so much. I was introduced to these cherries a couple years ago and have been buying them ever since. Unmatched in flavor and firmness. A huge plus is no artificial coloring or other ingredients that only a chemist would understand. I don't understand the reviewers who complain of the cherries getting moldy. I keep the container in the back of the fridge and transfer out what I need into a small jar. Not a speck of mold and we're talking a good three months if not more. Best price here on Amazon (which is not always the case but later for that diatribe).

These have a good flavor. As others have stated, they are not as firm as Luxardo. The syrup is not as thick either. I don't say these things disparagingly, but simply as an observation. The stems are nice and long. I kept mine in the refrigerator but they ferminted after about 2 months. Hey, they did not mold!! ;-). I wish I had taken another's advice to break into 4ths and freeze 3. I personally changed to Luxardo and won't look back. For as few as I use, I prefer the longer lasting, no refrigeration needed, stronger flavor, thicker syrup of the Luxardo. These have good flavor to me, but the quantity was just more than I needed before they ferminted. I know, look at it as free bonus cherry bombs, right? If you need the quantity over a short time frame, I would definitely recommend.

Really nice! I had bought another brand before these and they were overly sweet. The Royal Harvest brand are perfect and I will definitely buy again.

Very delicious version of the classic Maraschino. The original, Luxardo, is also quite nice, but I like these even better. Luxardos are in a very heavy syrup, they are smaller and are stemless and firmer. The Royal Harvest is a lot closer to fresh cherry tasting. The syrup is more jucelike and natural, perfect for making cherry Cokes. These are absolutely unlike those bright red things thst have been around for years. A couple of disparaging remarks about spoilage were made here by people who kept opened jars in the fridge for a couple of months. There are no artificial preservatives listed on the label. Only the sugar in the syrup preserves the product and since the sugar content is not as high as others, the after-opening life is shorter. When I open a jar, I break it down into 4 pint jars. I freeze 3 and keep one in the fridge and have never had a problem. This a very worthwhile and enjoyable product. Oh look, there's one in my Manhattan right now. Cheers !!!

Had these for the first time years ago at Season’s 52 in a manhattan. I asked the bartender for the brand and found them on amazon. best cherries I had ever had and they elevate your cocktail ten fold. The price is high for smaller jars, so I get the big bucket for 20 bucks, figuring even if I dont use them all it is a better bargain than the smaller jars. Great in Manhattan cocktails and I soak them in vanilla vodka and then dip them in white or dark ghiradelli chocolate at the holidays. So somehow they get used up! One complaint is that if you leave them for months opened in the fridge they get a bit soft sitting in the juice. SO to solve this we have Manhattan Fridays and the problem seems to disappear….