ISO Tart Cherry Recipes

[Steve Kroll]

Five years ago I planted a dwarf tart cherry tree in the yard. Although it's called a "dwarf", in actuality it's maybe 15 feet high. For the last couple years, we've ended up with a few quarts of fruit, while the birds got the lion's share. This year I got a little smarter and invested in fruit tree netting.

Now I have more cherries than I know what to do with. Oodles more. In the past I've made pies, but one can only eat so many pies. We haven't picked them yet, so I don't have an exact quantity. But my guess is that there is enough there to fill about 2 or 3 one-gallon buckets.

So I'm looking for other ideas. I was thinking maybe cherry preserves. Or desserts (other than pies).

Any thoughts from the DC folks?

 

[Kathleen]

Cobbler, jelly/jam, wine, cordials, ice cream, fresh cherry salsa, cherry sauces, yogurt topping, cakes, muffins, etc.

I'm thinking of planting a small cherry tree. Can you guess why?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Dry some of the cherries, they make a wonderful snack.

 

[Bookbrat]

I have a baby pie cherry tree and last year we made this with our teenytiny harvest. Also made it with strawberries and huckleberries. So easy. Fruit and chocolate...mmmmm.

Chocolate Raspberry Clafouti
http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-raspberry-clafouti-358694

 

[CWS4322]

Dehydrate them (pit them first). Make cherry vinegar. Or, a cherry cake (obsttorte). I will see if I can find my sauer kirshen obsttorte recipe (I think it is in English...it might be in German). Basically, it is a sponge cake base in a torte pan (a shallow round pan with a removable bottom), topped with sour cherries to which you've added some sugar and lemon zest when cooking them.

Obsttortenboden - Grundrezept | Mamas Rezepte - mit Bild und Kalorienangaben

Tortenboden Rezept | Küchengötter

Mehl = flour
Eier = egg
Zucker = sugar
Milch = milk

TL = teaspoon
EL = tablespoon

Mix the wet ingredients together first, add the dry ingredients. Grease the pan--we always put dried bread crumbs in the bottom as well as flour. Back for 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 and remove from pan. You flip it over and put the fruit on top. Cook the fruit as if you were making pie filling. Serve with whipped cream. My absolute favorite obsttorte is with sour cherries.

 

[GotGarlic]

Five years ago I planted a dwarf tart cherry tree in the yard. Although it's called a "dwarf", in actuality it's maybe 15 feet high.

Just wanted to say, that *is* a dwarf cherry tree When I was a kid, we had a cherry tree in the backyard that was at least as tall as the three-story house. I remember climbing the tree to pick the cherries. Cherry cobbler sounds good to me

 

[Aunt Bea]

Your Christmas gift giving is solved, make some Tipsy Cherries!

You can make them with brandy, rum, bourbon, etc...

This is just one of the many recipes you find floating around on the internet.

Bourbon Cherries Recipe | Eating Well

 

[GotGarlic]

We're not big fans of cranberries, so I made a cherry sauce for Thanksgiving last year. We loved it.

 

[creative]

Invite people over for a fun cherry party!

Have cherries (on stalks) in several bowls next to several bowls of deluxe, melted sweet chocolate (plain, milk and white). Dip cherries in this and enjoy! It is wonderful!

I guess the consistency of the chocolate may be all important, i.e. too loose and it will drip a lot - too thick and it will be hard to dip into and set quicker. You could have the bowls sitting in other bowls of hot water (to keep the chocolate hot and liquidy).

 

[CharlieD]

Yes, cherry preserve is awesome.

 

[Dawgluver]

Great suggestions.

Bet with your winemaking skills, you could make some awesome cherry wine. Could you mix the cherries and some grapes for a bottle or two? I freeze extra cherries when they're on sale, they make nice sauce.

 

[CharlieD]

P.S. If you do not know what to do with it, I'll be more than happy to take some of your hands.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

This is the recipe I use to make Tart Cherry Jelly. It is a nice deep clear red, and yes-- tart flavor. Good to stir some into a meat sauce and on muffins and toast. Recipe was originally found on Food dot com.

3 1/2 cups cherry juice
1 cup water
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package dry pectin
4 1/2 cups sugar

To make juice:

Use about 3/4- 1 gallon fully ripe cherries.
Softly wash. Remove stems. Do not pit!
In large pot, crush cherries ( use a potato masher.).
Add 1 cup water to crushed cherries.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain juice through a jelly bag or cheesecloth.
Toss pits, pulp, and peels.


To Make Jelly:
Measure 3 1/2 cups juice into large pot. If you have more juice, make a 2nd batch, do not double recipe.
Add pectin and stir.
Place on high heat and stir constantly.
Bring to a full rolling boil (that can't be stirred down).
Add sugar, continue stirring and bring to a full rolling boil once more.
Boil hard for 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Skim off foam.
Ladle into hot jelly jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Apply lids and rings.
Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Makes approx 5 Half pints.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Great suggestions.

Bet with your winemaking skills, you could make some awesome cherry wine. Could you mix the cherries and some grapes for a bottle or two? I freeze extra cherries when they're on sale, they make nice sauce.

I make cherry wine every couple years and have a good source of juice from Door County, Wisconsin that I use. I probably wouldn't use cherries from my own tree because it takes so many cherries to get even a gallon of juice, and I like make 3 to 5 gallons at a time.

Cherry wine is awesome. Next to grape, it's my favorite fruit wine.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Just wanted to say, that *is* a dwarf cherry tree When I was a kid, we had a cherry tree in the backyard that was at least as tall as the three-story house. I remember climbing the tree to pick the cherries. Cherry cobbler sounds good to me

In years past, I've been able to get on the ladder and reach the top cherries on the tree. Not any longer. There are now some that are out of reach, and I'm getting too old to climb trees. I figure those will be the birds' share.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Lots of great ideas on this thread! Thank you so much for all of your input.

 

[Mad Cook]

Five years ago I planted a dwarf tart cherry tree in the yard. Although it's called a "dwarf", in actuality it's maybe 15 feet high. For the last couple years, we've ended up with a few quarts of fruit, while the birds got the lion's share. This year I got a little smarter and invested in fruit tree netting.

Now I have more cherries than I know what to do with. Oodles more. In the past I've made pies, but one can only eat so many pies. We haven't picked them yet, so I don't have an exact quantity. But my guess is that there is enough there to fill about 2 or 3 one-gallon buckets.

So I'm looking for other ideas. I was thinking maybe cherry preserves. Or desserts (other than pies).

Any thoughts from the DC folks?

Are they morello cherries? I'll assume they are. Try tese.
That old 1970s favourite is in fashion again A Return to the Black Forest - Recipes - Recipes - from Delia Online

Duck (or gammon/ham) with Morello Cherry Sauce (uses cherries and cherry jam so you kill 2 birds with one stone (oops, unintentional pun)
Crisp Roast Duck with Sour Cherries - Unlive - Waitrose

This morello cherry cake is good The Answer is Cake • All the best recipes for cake in one place

I've tried all of these and they are yum.

These all need some sort of preserved cherries but if you've already made jam you're quids in and you can poach some to take the place of canned cherries or the ones in jars.

Have you enough cherries for it to be worth canning? Or you could freeze them.

 

[Mad Cook]

Great suggestions.

Bet with your winemaking skills, you could make some awesome cherry wine. Could you mix the cherries and some grapes for a bottle or two? I freeze extra cherries when they're on sale, they make nice sauce.

Or cherries in brandy - morello cherries are just right for this:-

Home-made Cherry Brandy

1. Cut the cherry stalks down to 1/4"-1/2". Prick each cherry 5 or 6 times with a darning needle or similar as you put them into the jar of your choice which should be of a size to be filled with the available cherries.

2. Pour granulated sugar into the jar until it comes just under half way up the fruit. Add brandy to cover. Use the cheap but still drinkable stuff. This is not a recipe for using good cognac or armagnac.

3. Fasten down the lid and stash away somewhere cool-ish (not the 'fridge) and dark and leave for at least 3 months or as long as you like. (my grandmother, who gave me the recipe, claimed to have found a jar at the back of the pantry that was 20 years old! It was delicious!)

The fruit is nearly as yummy as the liqueur. Do them now and they'll be ready for Christmas or keep them for Christmas 2015, they'll be even better. Do be careful, though, if you use them for dessert when you have guests who might be driving!

(I also make prunes in brandy and creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) but to different recipes)

 

[Kathleen]

MC, what do you mean when you say to cut the stalks? Do you mean the stems? Do you pit the fruit?

 

[Mad Cook]

MC, what do you mean when you say to cut the stalks? Do you mean the stems? Do you pit the fruit?

Yes, the stems that connect the cherry to the tree. I think they add a touch of tannin to the drink. You can take them off completely if you want to.

And no, I don't pit them. The pits/stones adds a slightly almondy flavour to the cherry brandy. I enquired about this years ago before I started making it and was told that because the stones aren't cracked you don't get the cyanide from the internal kernel. You are only going to drink a thimble-ful or a liqueur glass at a time in any case. My family has made this liqueur forever and none of us have had any ill effects. If you are worried about this you could remove the pits and very carefully add a few drops of true almond extract (NOT artificial almond flavouring) to taste but don't overdo it. You don't want it to overpower the cherries just to enhance the cherry flavour.