By Sandy Heley, special to Mountain Valley News
Cherries are a bright-colored icon of the summer months and have been enjoyed by food lovers for centuries.
Also known as drupes, or stone fruits, cherries are related to plums and more distantly to peaches and nectarines.
Cherries were brought to America by ship with early settlers in the 1600’s.
Today, the United States cherry industry produces more than 650 million pounds of the fruit each year.
Cherries are grown in several regions of the United States but seventy percent come from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah.
There are two main types of cherries - sweet and tart.
The most famous sweet cherry variety is the Bing cherry. They are large and plump with dark, purple-red flesh and dark ruby skin that turns nearly black when fully ripe.
Other varieties include the Lambert, which is red, heart-shaped and tastes very similar to the Bing and the Rainier, a cherry with a creamy yellow and pink flesh and skin. It is sweeter and milder than the Bing.
Tart cherries, like Montmorency and the Morello varieties, are very bright red in color and much smaller in size. They are most often canned or frozen and used for pie filling and sauces.
Bracken Orchard in Palisade, Colorado has been growing cherries for the past 50 years.
“We grow Montmorency Pie Cherries said Buck Bracken, owner. “They are strictly for making pies, not for eating like sweet cherries.”
Picking cherries can be a great family outing, too.
“We love going to Bracken Farms to pick cherries” said Lori Kralovec, mother of two. “It’s a summer highlight for us and the owners are so friendly. The kids even get to participate with the washing and pitting of the cherries”.
Cherries are well known for their uses in jams, jellies and of course, desserts.
Did you know that cherries can also be used in appetizers, salads, main course dishes and even soups?
Enjoy an easy appetizer of smoky grilled cherries by mixing together two tablespoons of brown sugar, one fourth teaspoon of cinnamon and one eighth teaspoon of salt. Add one pound of pitted cherries and toss together until well coated.
Grill in an enclosed foil packet for about ten minutes until the cherries are heated through.
For an unusual but delicious dinner, toss the smoky grilled cherries with salad greens, roast chicken, sliced red onions, Feta cheese and a mustard vinaigrette.
Summer is typically not soup weather; however, a cold cherry soup could be just the ticket on a hot day.
Place two pounds of pitted cherries in a saucepan and cover with one to one and a half cups cold water. Add one seeded lemon slice and two tablespoons of sugar.
Simmer the cherries for about 10 minutes until they are softened.
In a separate bowl, mix together two teaspoons of cornstarch with three tablespoons of sour cream.
Add to the hot cherries and stir until the sour cream is mixed in well and the soup has thickened (do not boil).
Cool the soup and chill until ready to serve.
Of course, the possibilities are endless when it comes to using cherries in desserts. Cherry Cheesecake and Cherries Jubilee are two popular choices and don’t forget about cherry pie.
“We always make cherry pie right away after our visit it to the orchard”, Kralovec added. “We also like cherry cobbler and of course, we freeze some for later on, too”.
A delicious cherry compote can be made and served over ice cream for a cool summer treat.
In a saucepan, combine one half cup of sugar, one fourth cup of water, one fourth cup of orange juice, one eighth teaspoon of cinnamon, one fourth teaspoon of almond extract and one pound of pitted cherries. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce is thickened. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cherries and bring the remaining liquid back to a boil for another 10 minutes.
Pour the finished sauce over the cherries and serve with ice cream.
Pick up some cherries at the store the next time you shop or head out to your favorite orchard to pick some fresh cherries yourself.
As the old adage says "Life is a bowl of cherries………….” so enjoy them.
Apple Cherry Crisp
Ingredients:
2 cups cherries
3 cups sliced peeled apples
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup quick cooking oats
½ cup all–purpose flour
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Directions:
Combine cherries, apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice and salt.
Put into a shallow, buttered 1 ½ quart baking dish. Combine brown sugar,
oats, flour. Cut in butter. Spoon over cherry-apple mixture.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until topping is crispy and
fruit is tender. Top with vanilla ice cream or whip topping.
Recipe courtesy of Sandy Heley
