Greek Cherry Spoon Sweet Preserves (Glyko Koutaliou)

Instructions

1. Wash the cherries and dry them.
2. Remove the stems and pit the cherries over a large bowl.
3. Add a cup of water to the cherry pits.
4. Place the pitted cherries in a pot with the sugar and lemon juice. Strain the water and add it to the cherries. Mix the cherries carefully and place the pot in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
5. Cook the cherries over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium.
6. Skim the froth from the top.
7. Cook the mixture for about 25 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract and set aside to cool completely.
9. Transfer the preserves and the syrup to jars and store in the refrigerator. Kali Orexi!