1poundfresh sweet cherriespitted and halved (~2 cups halved cherries)
2tablespoonsbutter
1/2large red oniondiced
2clovesgarlicminced
2 8-ouncecans tomato sauce
1/2cuppacked light brown sugar
1/3cupmolasses
1/4cupcider vinegar
1/4cupunfiltered apple juice
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
1tablespoonspicy brown mustard
1teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
Pinchcrushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cherries on the prepared baking sheet, cut-side up. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Add the cherries and remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and blend using an immersion blender until smooth (or allow to cool slightly and blend in a regular blender, but always be very careful when blending hot liquids!). At this point, assess the thickness of your sauce. If you would like it to be a bit thicker, return to the heat and simmer for another 10-20 minutes until your desired thickness. Taste and add more salt or crushed red pepper as needed/desired.
Allow to cool; pour into jars and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Add more crushed red pepper flakes to increase the heat to suit your tastes.Approximately 4 cups of sauce