It’s Cherry time! Cherry is my favorite summer fruit after watermelon. The season of the cherry passes quickly, it does not stay on the tree for long. How to prepare winter cherries?
How to store cherries?
How can cherries, which are collected from the trees without waiting too long, be stored for a long time? Let’s go step by step. If you want to consume cherries fresh, the best method is to wash the cherries you bought from the market in the garden as soon as you get home, without sorting them, and keep them in ice water for a few minutes. Iced water is very good for cherries.
Canned cherries
To summarize briefly, the simple canning method also applies to cherries;
Wash and sort the cherries (it’s up to you to remove the core). Put 3-4 spoons of sugar on them and add cold water. Remove the air from the edges with the back of the spoon so that no air remains in it. Wipe the edges of the jar and close the lids tightly.
In a large pot, put the jars of cold water above the knee and bring to a boil over medium heat. After boiling for 10 minutes, remove the jars on a cloth. Close the lids tightly again and turn them upside down, being very careful while doing them. Leave it covered for 24 hours, if possible, until it cools down.
Freeze cherries
You can freeze cherries for the winter months to eat a fruitcake or a sweet compote or so. Extract the cherries, do not remove the seeds, wash and drain. Arrange them on a tray without being tight and put them in the freezer. After about 3-4 hours, the cherries will be completely frozen. Quickly put it in a Ziplock bag and place it back in the freezer.
Cherry Jam
Extract your cherries, remove their seeds, I cut them in half, it gets easier. Squeeze the juice of 1 kilo of cherries, half a kilo of sugar and half a lemon into the pot, put the peel in it, mix it, put it on the stove, check the consistency 10 minutes after it starts to boil (put a teaspoon on a plate and see if it gets a jam-like consistency when it cools) If it’s ok, put it in jars and close the lid tightly. Turn it and continue turning it occasionally while it cools. (This way, the fruit grains are more evenly distributed)
You can put this recipe in a blender before putting it in the jar, it will have a marmalade consistency.
Dried cherries 2 methods
I wonder if there is a better snack than dried fruits, cherries are also dried. I know 2 different methods, one is a little soft dried, more easily chewable, and sweeter, the other method is completely drying like a stone, one for eating and the other for more compotes and other sweets.
Do not wash the cherries. Add 1 liter of water and 1 liter of sugar into the pot and squeeze a lemon. Add the cherries and cook for 4 minutes. And set it aside, let it sit for 24 hours, strain the water. Knee on a tray lined with greaseproof paper and wait until it dries, covered with tulle, under the sun.
In the other method, extract the cherries, do not remove the seeds and dry them on the tray under the sun.
Cherry sauce
Wash 500g cherries, remove the seeds, put them in a pot, add 100 gr sugar, half a glass of water. Mix it gently, put it on the stove and start cooking at medium heat, when it boils, add 2 pinches of salt. Boil for another 10 minutes and stir as it foams. When the cherries soften, mix 2 spoons of starch and 4 spoons of water in a bowl, add to the boiling cherry sauce and mix quickly. Cook for 1 more minute by stirring, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and cool it by stirring occasionally. It makes a great sauce for pancakes, desserts, ice creams and cakes.