Chilled cherry soup

[Ishbel]

The first cherries from Turkey are now in the shops and markets here... I got pounds and pounds of them, and found that some are getting a little too ripe, so I am making chilled cherry soup - just so I don't waste any of the delicious fruits! The Italian ones will be here any tick of the clock.. YUM - then the English ones. Can you tell I LOVE cherries? But, for medical reasons, I can only eat a handful at a time

300g dark red cherries, stoned
200ml stock syrup
zest of one lemon
3-4 leaves fresh lemon balm
To make stock syrup, slowly dissolve 250g caster sugar in 500ml water. When clear, add the zest and simmer for 5 minutes, then cool. Reserve half the cherries, and cut them in half if large. Roughly chop the rest. Bring the stock syrup to the boil and add the chopped cherries and lemon balm leaves. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for about 15 minutes, then remove the lemon balm.
Blitz the fruit and syrup mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth, then pass through sieve into a bowl, rubbing through with the back of a ladle. Chill the soup.

[expatgirl]

Ishbel,

Will regular sugar work? And what about frozen cherries? This sounds great as cherries are coming here via Ubekhistan as well and raspberries following them.

[Ishbel]

I think it would work, but I've never used granulated sugar in a syrup. I've never used frozen cherries for this, but I suppose it would work.

[Haggis]

I would say frozen cherries would work quite well simply because you are pureeing the soup so the softer texture of frozen cherries would not matter.

Will regular sugar work?

Depends what you mean by regular sugar. Does regular mean regular white sugar? Or does it mean raw sugar? But then again sugar, for all intents and purposes, is sugar when making a syrup (not counting brown sugar or icing sugar).

[Andy M.]

I make syrups with granulated sugar all the time. It works just fine. The only difference is the size of the sugar crystals. Since you're simmering it for 5 minutes, the sugar will dissolve with no problem at all.

[Constance]

This would be good for my friend who has gout. He's having problems with his diet, and I read that cherries are good for that.

[Shunka]

This looks like a winner; thank you Ishbel!!! Cherries are also good for arthritis.

[Piccolina]

Sounds beautiful Ish, I've a similar recipe that omits the lemon balm and uses mint as well as soom light cream.

(My favourite way of serving cheery soup is as breakfast on hot summer mornings )

[Ishbel]

Two of my flower beds are INFESTED with lemon balm....! I use it to flavour salad bowls - just rub the bowl before adding leaves etc... I use it to flavour sponge cakes (learned that in Greece), I use it to infuse in Pimms.... Lots of uses... but HATE the way it invades my garden.

[Goodweed of the North]

This looks absolutely wonderful. I think I'm gonna have to make some of this. I might also add some ruhbarb into the mix, jsut for grins, but maybe not. This looks good just as is. Thanks.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North