I have a routine now that cuts the intensity down. I simmer 1 quart of pitted cherries (1.6 lbs.) in a sauce pan with 1/2 cup of sugar for about 10-15 minutes. After straining off the juice, the cherries taste more like typical cooked sour cherries. Plus, I get about 10 oz. of juice per quart of cherries as a bonus. The juice is still intense but pleasantly sippable.
This is about 1:5 ratio of CJ to apples.
