Hello, my wonderful people! How are you doing today? I’m doing well; it’s beautiful weather in Oslo this week and I am feeling great. On a sunny day in the summer like this, I love being under the sun and having a cup of coffee or tea with my favorite snack — either fruits or some frozen desserts. Today, I had some delicious dark cherries by the balcony and that inspired me to make the cherry cheong! Yes, the raw cherry syrup recipe is here. You can use the cherry syrup for many different uses, including this homemade cherryade I am going to share the recipe with you. Tart, sweet, and fresh, this cherry syrup can be one of the best summer additions to your pantry.
Then, with no further ado, let me tell you a little bit about this raw cherry syrup, also known as cherry cheong in Korea.
Introduction to Raw Cherry Syrup, Cherry Cheong
In this recipe, we are going to make a raw cherry syrup with dark cherries using the Korean cheong method. By following this recipe, you will be able to preserve all the nutrients, flavors, and vibrant colors of the fresh cherries and lock them into the syrup.
So what is a cheong and the cheong method?
About Cheong
Cheong is a Korean preservation method that mixes sugar with fresh fruits, often mashed or sliced.
How to Make Cheong Syrup | With Any Fruits and Vegetables
Learn how to make cheong syrup, a delicious, healthy, and raw Korean syrup. You can make it with any kind of fruit or vegetable with expert tips! Learn more.
Q 1. Is cheong different from jam?
Unlike jam, where you need to cook the fruits with sugar, you leave the fruits fresh and untreated with heat when you are making a cheong. That makes the fruit cheong taste fresher and stronger than regular jam. For that reason, we call cheong a “fruit extract” in Korea.
Q 2. Is cheong different from syrup?
Cheong is also different from regular syrup, as you would let the sugar and fruit mix ferment when making Cheong. Depending on the type of fruits and the recipes, the cheong might have a shorter shelf life or can last for several years.
Here are some of the popular cheong varieties in Korea.
Varieties of Cheong
[ Berry Cheong ]
[ Citrus Cheong ]
[ Other Cheong ]
- Maesil Cheong (Korean green plum cheong)
- Apple Cheong
I have detailed posts about the varieties of cheong below, so check it out 
Cherry Cheong Uses
You can make any cheong with almost any fruit. There are also many different ways to use your cheong! Here are the top four ways to use cheong.
Homemade Cherryade | How to Make Cherry Syrup for Drinks
Learn how to make this delicious homemade cherryade. In this post, you will also learn how to make a versatile cherry syrup with real cherries for drinks!
1. Homemade Cherryade
First and foremost, the most common way to use cheong is to make homemade soft drinks with it. With cherry syrup, you can make your own homemade iced cherryade in no time! Simply mix the cherry syrup with the water.
2. Homemade Cherry Cocktail or Alcohol
You can mix soju or vodka with your cherry syrup to make your cherry cocktail. Or, you can even make cherry liquor with your cherry cheong.
I shared my blueberry soju recipe with you here that you can make with blueberry cheong.
Blueberry Soju | Korean Soju Recipe with Blueberry Cheong
You can make a blueberry soju with real blueberries at home to enjoy the deep flavors of blueberries. Read this blog post about the blueberry soju recipe that uses the Korean cheong method.
3. Homemade Latte
There are many lattes in Korea. You mix cheong with some plant milk. Pour it into a cup filled with ice, and there is your luxurious homemade Korean latte, such as a strawberry latte, a blueberry latte, or this cherry latte!
You can make a cherry latte with this gorgeous cherry cheong and cherry syrup. You can read my blog post below.
Cherry Latte | Easy Latte Recipe with Homemade Cherry Syrup
This cherry latte is tart, fruity, sweet, and delicious! Try this cherry latte recipe that can easily be made with homemade cherry syrup. Learn more.
4. A Topping for Yogurt and Ice Cream
Last but not least, you can use cheong as a topping for yogurt or ice cream!
Both the fruit pulp and the syrup can be used.
You can also mix strawberry cheong with plain yogurt or ice cream, and then you have your strawberry yogurt or strawberry ice cream!
Cherry Season
Cherries are in season from late spring to early summer. Cherries are available from May to August in most parts of the world, including Norway, where I live. 🍒 🇳🇴 When cherries are in season, they are even more flavorful and packed with nutrients. So let’s eat lots of them!
So what kind of health benefits do we get from eating cherries?
Health Benefits of Cherries
1. Helps with Exercise Recovery
Black cherry juice and concentrate were found to help with muscle recovery, decrease muscle pain from exercise, and prevent strength loss. It’s a perfect after-workout food ingredient!
2. Kidney Health
Black cherry was found to cleanse uric acid crystals from the joints, and it also reduced blood levels of uric acid, resulting in kidney health.
3. May Help with Sleep Quality
This was so interesting to me. Did you know that cherries contain melatonin, which is a substance that helps regulate our sleep and wake cycles? So a study found that people who regularly drank tart cherry juice concentrate had a noticeable increase in melatonin levels, sleep duration, and sleep quality!
Then let’s get started with the cherry syrup recipe!
Raw Black Cherry Syrup Recipe | Everything About Cherry Cheong
Easy Cherry Syrup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- If you are using fresh cherries, we need to prepare the cherries. Remove the stems from the cherries.
- In a washing bowl, put the cherries. Sprinkle the baking soda on top of the cherries.
- Add cold water to the bowl until the cherries submerge. Then add vinegar. Mix.
- Lightly rub the cherries in the water. Then take them out and rinse them thoroughly with running water.
- Dab the water out of the cherries. Let them dry completely.
- In a pot, add water again. Take the glass jar you want to store your cheong in and put it upside down.
- Do not put a glass jar straight into boiling water. It can break the glass. Put the glass in the pot first, then bring it to a boil slowly.
- Slowly bring the water to a boil. Let the glass jar be disinfected with boiling water. Once the water starts to boil, turn down the heat to medium-high. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
- Take out the glass jar and let it completely dry.
- If you use fresh cherries, cut them in half and remove the seeds. If you use frozen cherries, you can just cut them in half.
- Add some cherries to the disinfected glass jar. Sprinkle some sugar. Add more cherries to the glass jar, and sprinkle the brown sugar in between the cherries. Repeat until you use all the cherries and sugar.
- Using a wooden spoon, mix the sugar and cherries well. You can lightly mash the cherries with a wooden spoon.
- Then pour the syrup on top. The syrup will drip down to the bottom naturally. Close the jar.
- Leave the jar in a cool, dark place for several days. Check how it’s doing every day. All the sugar will have dissolved. Using a strainer, strain the cherries and syrup.
- Store the syrup in a separate jar or bottle. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 months. It can naturally ferment as time passes.
- Enjoy your cherry syrup to make a cherryade or cherry latte!
A Key Ingredient for Cheong
Of course, fresh and nice fruits are the key ingredients for making a cheong.
But aside from that, the next key ingredient is sugar!
1. Sugar
Using high-quality organic sugar like this will determine the final result of the cheong. Great sugar can not only preserve and ferment better but also taste better!
Not only that, using organic sugar is a great way to save our planet. There are a lot of pesticides used in growing regular sugar crops.
Let’s get some great organic cane sugar for taste, preservation, and the planet.
2. Allulose Fiber Syrup
My Normal Keto Allulose 17.1 Fl Oz – Allulose, Monk Fruit and Stevia Blend
Allulose syrup is used in Korean kitchens a lot. It adds sweetness to food with fewer calories, and it has fiber, which slows down the blood sugar spikes and hinders the sugar from being absorbed into our bodies.
When used in making cheongs, allulose syrup helps to accelerate the process. If you use only sugar, it takes longer to dissolve sugar (sometimes it doesn’t dissolve at all!) and the syrup can have a high amount of sugar.
Pouring allulose syrup can also help the cheong to ferment well instead of being spoiled, as the liquid prevents the virus from entering the cheong.
How to Store Cherry Cheong
1. Store in Fridge
You can store cherry cheong (syrup with cherry fruits) somewhere dark and chill, like a cold basement. Storing cherry cheong at 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) is recommended.
This ideal temperature lets the maesil cheong ferment naturally and develop its flavors. But try not to go too hot or below the freezing temperature. You can even store it in the fridge, although it will slow down the fermentation process.
2. Cover Syrup on Top
This is one of the most important tips that apply to all kinds of cheongs. Make sure to cover the cherry cheong with brown sugar. This process ensures no bacteria in the air get into the cheong, which can spoil our precious cheong!
3. Take Out Cherries After 2 Months
After 2 months of storing maesil cheong at a cool temperature (10–22 °C or 50–72 °F), you can completely remove the cherry fruits and strain them with a fine mesh so you are only left with cherry syrup. You can store the cherry syrup in the fridge.
Summary of Raw Cherry Syrup, Cherry Cheong
I hope you liked this raw cherry syrup recipe! If this is your first time getting to know about a cheong recipe, what do you think about it? I find the cherry cheong syrup so much more flavorful and fresher in taste than regular syrup. And once you have this cherry syrup, you will be able to make cherryade so easily! It’s a perfect drink for the summer.
I will see you again soon with another delicious recipe. If you enjoyed the cherry cheong recipe, you can check out my other cheong recipes below. Until then, have a wonderful day!
Other Cheong Recipes
1. Maesil Cheong 매실청
Maesil is a Korean plum, but we usually pick them when they are unripe, green, and hard. One of the most popular uses of maesil in Korean cuisine is to make a cheong out of it.
Maesil Cheong | Raw Korean Plum Extract | Syrup Recipe & Uses
Maesil cheong is a delicious, fragrant, tart, fresh, and sweet raw Korean syrup made with a Korean plum called maesil. Learn the recipe and what to use it for.
The sweet and sour taste of Cheong balances a lot of dishes so well, and it is much more nutritious to cook with than to use sugar.
Maesil cheong can ferment, become lightly sour like vinegar, or develop into alcohol!
1. Blueberry Cheong
Blueberry Cheong Recipe | How to Make Korean Blueberry Syrup
Make raw Korean syrup with the superfood blueberries! Here is the blueberry cheong recipe you’ve been waiting for.
2. Strawberry Cheong
Strawberry Cheong Recipe | For Korean Desserts and Drinks
Strawberry cheong is a great way to preserve fresh strawberries. It’s a versatile dish that can be used to make lots of desserts and drinks! Read more here.
3. Citrus Cheong
Many citrus varieties are growing in South Korea.
The further south you go in South Korea, the more abundant the citrus fruits are! Jeju Island, which is the southernmost island of South Korea, is known for so many clementines and other citrus fruits like Dekopon (한라봉) and Setoka (천혜향).
As many citrus fruits are harvested during the harvest season, citrus preservatives such as marmalade and citrus cheong are naturally developed.
Marmalade is sweet, thick, and has a hint of citrus scent. In comparison, citrus cheong has a punch of sweet and sour taste from citrus flavors and scents! It truly is the citrus extract.
The most popular citrus cheongs include clementines, oranges, grapefruit, and lemon cheongs.
Lemon Cheong Recipe | How to Make Korean Raw Lemon Syrup
This zesty, citrusy, and vibrant lemon cheong recipe can be used in so many Korean cuisines! Learn how to make Korean raw lemon syrup packed with vitamin C.
Tangerine Cheong Recipe | How to Make Korean Tangerine Syrup
Try this Korean tangerine cheong recipe. You can get both the zesty, sweet tangerine syrup and the marmalade in one recipe! Learn more.
4. Raspberry Cheong
Raspberry Cheong | How to Make Korean Raw Raspberry Syrup
Raspberry cheong is a raw Korean syrup. It is packed with fresh raspberry flavors, scents, colors, and nutrients! Learn this versatile raspberry cheong recipe.
Apple Cheong Recipe | How to Make Apple Syrup
Apple cheong is a Korean raw apple syrup that is packed with sweet and tart flavors. Make apple cheong with any kind of apple with this recipe. Learn more.
Other Cherry Recipes
Cherry Latte | Easy Latte Recipe with Homemade Cherry Syrup
This cherry latte is tart, fruity, sweet, and delicious! Try this cherry latte recipe that can easily be made with homemade cherry syrup. Learn more.
Black Cherry Ice Cream Recipe | Homemade Ice Cream
Try this black cherry ice cream recipe; it has a sweet vanilla and cherry base with some chewy, succulent, juicy cherry chunks. It’s a classic!
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