It’s just about cherry season. They are my very favorite fruit. My husband sent me a huge box of them for a present today. So let’s talk cherries. What’s the best way to store them? Your favorite recipes? Do they freeze well?
Hopefully they were smeltzer cherries (I’ve known the family my whole life and my mom lives 2 miles from their orchard) (:
here’s some recipes:
https://www.smeltzerorchards.com
Cherries are rather expensive where I live so about the only way I ever eat them is raw. We had a cherry tree on our farm when I was a kid and my maternal great-granny would make an awesome cobbler with them.
Also, honestly BG? What in god’s name does your posted link have to do with the OP’s question?
I make a pig of myself when it comes to pretty much any fruit in season. Cherries are in my top 5 favourites. If I buy more than I can eat in a few days, I’ll make jam/compote out of them with a little brandy. Then go out and buy some more fresh ones so I don’t go through the jam immediately.
Cherrybim
Get yourself a big, wide-mouth gallon jar. Put a layer of sugar cubes in the bottom. Toss in a couple of cloves. Then layer in about 2 inches of fresh cherries. Add another layer of sugar cubes. Toss in a couple more cloves. Add another layer of cherries. Do this until the jar is full and fairly packed. Not jam-packed, because you want room for the last ingredient - bourbon. Fill the jar with bourbon, screw on the lid, and let rest in a dark place for 6 months or so. Then spoon the cherries over ice cream while sipping the liquid over Christmas.
I love, love, love Cherries when they are in the form of Jolly Ranchers, Life Savers, or Luigi’s Italian Ice. Otherwise I don’t eat them and don’t particularly like the taste of them. It could be me - maybe I just don’t know how to buy good ones. Heck - I can hardly tell a good grapefruit from a bad one - and it’s the only fruit other than canned pineapple that I eat - you’d think I’d have learned by now. :rolleyes:
In my belly.
Cherries are expensive here in Japan and my parents always ship me a crate of Washington dark cherries every June or July as a summer gift. Even after sharing them with friends and work, there’s just too much to consume raw so we make compote, tarts and ice cream with them. We also peel them and cut them into small pieces and dry them in the sun and use them in baked goods or mix them with nuts and chocolate. If you like duck or other game meat, you can make a simple cherry sauce reduced in Pinot Noir.
As for storing them, if I remember the pamphlet correctly, you should keep them cold and covered in a container or plastic bag. Also, don’t wash them until they’re to be used because the moisture will be absorbed and will make for watery/soft cherries as well as hasten their spoilage.
My FAVORITE!!!
I love cherries and ALWAYS buy more than I can eat at once.
So last year I bought a cherry pitter. I pit the cherries when I bring them home, after I’ve washed them and they’ve dried. Anything I can’t eat in a day or so gets frozen.
Fresh, pitted cherries mixed in with yogurt (vanilla or plain, maybe with a bit of honey), yum. A great breakfast.