Cherries - It's National Cherry Day !

Here in the UK, today 16th July, is National Cherry Day ...

Cherry (pronounced che-ree) ... one of the food delights of summer, cherries are much loved for their succulent texture, flavour and gorgeous good looks. 

English cherries, their colours ranging from delicate pink-flushed gold through bright red to almost black, are in season for only about six weeks from the end of June. Sadly they're in danger of disappearing completely as the number of trees has decreased rapidly over the last fifty years, due to competition from cheaper overseas cherries.

Kent is famous for its excellent cherries, which have flourished there since Roman times. Cherry fairs, once held to celebrate the harvest have now made a welcome comeback in the county. The luscious fruits were taken to London in the past to be sold in the city's streets, where the cherry sellers cried their wares. In Stuart times (between 1603 and 1714) Rotherhithe was famous for its Cherry Garden and Londoners often spent a pleasant Saturday afternoon relaxing there. Samuel Pepys mentions visiting the area to buy cherries for his wife, in his famous diary.

The juicy flesh of cherries can be sweet or sour, depending on which of the hundreds of varieties they are... cherries are divided into three groups ... sweet, sour and hybrids.

Availability:

You're most likely to find English cherries at farmers' markets or local greengrocers. Cherries are also available in supermarkets but check country of origin. In the UK they are generally at their peak in mid July.

Choose the best:

Buy them as fresh as possible as they don't keep well, and look for firm, glossy, plump fruits with green stems - brown stems indicate that the cherries are either too old or have been stored incorrectly - to the detriment of the flavour.
Buy plump, shiny cherries that have their stalks attached and look for fruit that is dark red, firm but not hard.

Generally, pale cherries are sweet and dark cherries more acidic. If you can, it is always a good idea to try before you buy to get the flavour that you prefer.

Prepare and Store:

Keep unwashed cherries in the fridge for 3-4 days and wash them just before serving. Wash cherries quickly under cold running water - never soak them. Cherries also freeze well. Wash and drain them, remove the stems, then spread out in a single layer on a plastic or metal tray and open freeze. When completely frozen, they can be packed in an airtight plastic freezer bag or box

Remove stalks and use a cherry stoner to pit the cherries if you are using a large number for a recipe.

Cook it:
Sweet cherries are suitable for eating, sour cherries are great in tarts, pies, crumbles and sauces.

Details about cherries from here and here

"Serving Suggestions for Cherries on a Low-Carb Diet

If you can find sour cherries, choose them, as they provide more nutrients for less sugar. Rather than snack on cherries alone and find you've overshot your carb allowance, try adding them to yogurt or ricotta cheese. They can also be an interesting addition to savoury dishes...you've probably had chicken with cranberries well how about chicken and sour cherries ...adapt this recipe suggestion."

If you want a low carb cake recipe that uses pitted black cherries then this is nice ...

Black Forest Gateau

see recipe here
of course you may wish to use fresh cherries ...

Enjoy National Cherry Day!

All the best Jan