For many people, the flavor of wild cherry bark is instilled in memories of children’s cough syrup and throat lozenges. Although the flavoring agent used today for these products is often artificial, the flavor choice remains popular.
Using wild cherry bark at home is easy, but it must be handled with care. Unlike other hard materials that need to be decocted, or simmered in boiling water, wild cherry bark must be allowed to steep in hot water and never boiled, or the active compounds in the bark will be lost.
One of the best ways to preserve wild cherry bark is to make a simple syrup, which will last indefinitely if properly stored. To make wild cherry syrup the easy way, just fill a mason jar 2/3 of the way with bark and cover with brandy. After 30-45 days, strain and blend with reserved liquid with an equal amount of honey and bottle.
