Guinettes preserved cherry

Guinettes are a special type of brandied cherries imported from France. They are labeled semi-confit, meaning they are partially cooked or preserved. The pitted cherries are packed in bottles with sugar and brandy and, sometimes, kirsch (cherry liqueur) as well. Both the cherries themselves and the liquid in the bottle are wonderfully delicious. Simply serving them over vanilla ice cream makes an excellent, simple treat and, of course, because they are packed in alcohol, Guinettes are perfect for flambéed dishes such as Cherries Jubilee. The word Guinettes is actually the name of a variety of small red cherry grown in France (see Cherry). However, it has come to refer to the finished brandied cherry product in the same way, for example, that most people use the word cabernet to refer to the wine, not the cabernet grape. Another popular label is Griottines.