Pennyaline wrote:
>
> Also, the presence of grain alcohol in brandied cherries is not sufficient
> to stop the growth of microorganisms. The surgeons in old Westerns used to
> use Old Red Eye in equal parts as anesthesia and antiseptic, and that hoary
> fallacy persists and manifests itself in off-kilter ways to this day.
> Neither grain nor wood alcohol is an effective general sanitizing agent
> because spores can survive them.
>
> I put up my brandied cherries with a cold pack followed by longer water bath
> processing - it's easier on the fruit than hot pack and lets the cherries
> maintain their color and shape. And I won't vary from the process! I don't
> care they're packed in whiskey, brandy, kirsch, schnapps or 150 proof
> Everclear -- alcohol itself is not enough.
>


I disagree. You don't have to kill the spores. (your hot pack does not
kill bacterial spores)

Just create an acid enviroment so clostridium spores won't sprout, limit
the available water with large amounts of sugar, or an alcoholic
enviroment that kills them when they do become active. I don't know how
strong an alcohol it would take; 20% ABV will kill most yeasts, and
yeast is unusually resistant to alcohol.

Bob