xmas is in the air

started making these yesterday! glace cherries (to go with my candied peel in a fruitcake, eventually), starting from scratch with fresh local produce. i had worried that i had somehow missed the local cherries, or that the crop had failed entirely due to the freakish spring/summer we've just had. but no! i found ontario cherries, and i am turning them into sweet goodness. slowly.

a word of caution: this is one of those recipes that says "on day five..." so you have to sort of plan your life around them a bit. they don't need much time spent on them each day, just some straining, measuring, boiling of syrup, etc., but it's not something to leave till the last minute, or start when you're going to be terrifically busy.

so far, i am just grateful that i haven't attracted a horde of fruit flies. grateful and amazed.