# ISO Tart Cherry Recipes



## Steve Kroll (Jul 13, 2014)

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?


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## Kathleen (Jul 14, 2014)

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?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 14, 2014)

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


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## Bookbrat (Jul 14, 2014)

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


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## CWS4322 (Jul 14, 2014)

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.


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## GotGarlic (Jul 14, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> 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


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## Aunt Bea (Jul 14, 2014)

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


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## GotGarlic (Jul 14, 2014)

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


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## creative (Jul 14, 2014)

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).


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## CharlieD (Jul 14, 2014)

Yes, cherry preserve is awesome.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 14, 2014)

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.


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## CharlieD (Jul 14, 2014)

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


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## Whiskadoodle (Jul 14, 2014)

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.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 14, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> 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.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 14, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> 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.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 14, 2014)

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


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## Mad Cook (Jul 14, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> 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.
> 
> ...


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.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 14, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> 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)


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## Kathleen (Jul 14, 2014)

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


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## Mad Cook (Jul 14, 2014)

Kathleen said:


> 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.


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## CWS4322 (Jul 14, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> 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.


I have a new cookbook--it has a sparkling sour cherry wine recipe...just saying.


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## Kathleen (Jul 14, 2014)

Oh, I have zero worries!  I just want to be sure that I get it right!  Mmmm!  Thank you, MC!


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## Dawgluver (Jul 14, 2014)

Kathleen said:


> Oh, I have zero worries!  I just want to be sure that I get it right!  Mmmm!  Thank you, MC!




Am thinking you could make cherry cordial, using MC's recipe subbing vodka for the brandy, along with the poking.  It sounds very similar to the wild raspberry cordial I've made using vodka.  Thankfully I didn't have to poke the raspberries.

If/when I get enough cherries on sale, I would definitely like to try this!


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## GotGarlic (Jul 14, 2014)

Now I'm dying for some cherry cordial or other cherry liqueur. I just love cherries. They're not common in my part of Virginia; the weather is too warm for many fruits.


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## bethzaring (Jul 14, 2014)

This is the recipe I use for cherry cobbler

Cherry Cobbler Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network

except I add 1/4 t. of both cinnamon and almond extract.


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## CharlieD (Jul 15, 2014)

Steve, why don't you prune the tree? Come fall or next spring chop the top of. No nerd for extra height if you cannot get there.

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## Steve Kroll (Jul 15, 2014)

We're picking tonight. I think the consensus is that we'll can a batch of cherry preserves, and make cherry liqueur (I found a recipe that calls for vodka and brandy). Anything left will be frozen to eventually go into baked goods.

On kind of a down side, I checked the tree this morning and the darn birds have apparently figured out a way to get at the fruit where the netting meets the tree. There are 1/2" openings in the mesh, so I suspect they are getting their little beaks through and picking at the pretty red cherries. Grrr.

Anyway, still lots left. I'll post photos as I have them.


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## CraigC (Jul 15, 2014)

We have made a nice tart cherry and port sauce for pork.


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## CWS4322 (Jul 15, 2014)

CraigC said:


> We have made a nice tart cherry and port sauce for pork.


I've made this several times with Bing cherries. Can't think of why it would not work with tart cherries. I love it with cedar-planked salmon on the grill.

Grilled Salmon Cherry Sauce | Washington State Fruit Commission


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 15, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Are they morello cherries? I'll assume they are.


The one I have is a dwarf Montmorency. Montmorency is an offshoot of the Amarelle variety, and is the most popular tart cherry in the US. If you ever have a cherry pie over here, odds are it's made from this variety.

What never fails to catch me by surprise is how awful they taste right off the tree. The sourness will make you pucker up like a lovestruck school girl. But add a little sugar, and the flavor changes entirely.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 15, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> The one I have is a dwarf Montmorency. Montmorency is an offshoot of the Amarelle variety, and is the most popular tart cherry in the US. If you ever have a cherry pie over here, odds are it's made from this variety.
> 
> What never fails to catch me by surprise is how awful they taste right off the tree. The sourness will make you pucker up like a lovestruck school girl. But add a little sugar, and the flavor changes entirely.


 Ah - Canard Montmorency! We don't see Montmorency cherries over here much, unless you know someone with a tree so we have to make do with morellos.

I'd love a cherry tree but there isn't room for it in my garden. I'd have to dig a lot up first.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 15, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> Am thinking you could make cherry cordial, using MC's recipe subbing vodka for the brandy, along with the poking.  It sounds very similar to the wild raspberry cordial I've made using vodka.  Thankfully I didn't have to poke the raspberries.
> 
> If/when I get enough cherries on sale, I would definitely like to try this!


Oh, yes, vodka would be fine. I've made a pear liqueur using vodka.

Boozer? Wot, moi?

English cherries have been wonderful this year due, I think, to the weather. It's only a short season though and so many trees were grubbed up in the 2nd half of the last century that supply can't keep up with demand, although cherry orchards are being replanted.

And cherries are very good for you, too - English Cherry | 100% fresh English cherries from our farm in Aspley Guise


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## Dawgluver (Jul 15, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Oh, yes, vodka would be fine. I've made a pear liqueur using vodka.
> 
> Boozer? Wot, moi?
> 
> ...



Oooh, pear liqueur!  

The wonderful state of Michigan is famous for its cherries here, and they sell all sorts of cherry concentrates and elixers as well.  I'll have to check the stores for cherries, as I really have a hankerin' for them now!


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 16, 2014)

Well, we ended up picking right around 16 lbs of cherries. I put half in the freezer and used the other half to make cherry preserves and liqueur. 

I was up until 2:00 am pitting cherries and canning. So I'm a little tired and wobbly today. I had a long boring meeting at work this afternoon and it was all I could do to stay awake.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 16, 2014)

They look absolutely beautiful, Steve!  Nice job!


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 16, 2014)

Thanks, DL!


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## Cheryl J (Jul 16, 2014)

OMGosh, looks wonderful!!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 17, 2014)

I made a cherry pie from scratch, picking the cherries from a freind's tree.  The basic recipe is like this one - Cherry Pie Recipe : Food Network
I didn't add almond extract to my pie as so many recipes call for.  but I did add a half tsp. of cinnamon to the filling.

My other trick was to add 1/8 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon to the flour used to make the crust.  And, I made a lattice crust on top, brushed with milk, and sprinkled with coarse sugar.  It was a great pie.

The great thing with cherry pie is that you can play with it.  Try melting cark chocolate in a double boiler, and then drizzling it over the top when the pie is cooled.  Chocolate and cherries go so great together.

You have been given some great ideas in this thread.  I hope that whatever you make comes out spectacular.

Chief Longwind of the North
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cherry-pie-recipe.html


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 17, 2014)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> I made a cherry pie from scratch, picking the cherries from a freind's tree.  The basic recipe is like this one - Cherry Pie Recipe : Food Network
> I didn't add almond extract to my pie as so many recipes call for.  but I did add a half tsp. of cinnamon to the filling.
> 
> My other trick was to add 1/8 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon to the flour used to make the crust.  And, I made a lattice crust on top, brushed with milk, and sprinkled with coarse sugar.  It was a great pie.


Cherry is my favorite pie, so I always make a couple of those. That's probably what I'll do with some of the 8 lbs I froze. 

These were last year's pies:


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 17, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> Cherry is my favorite pie, so I always make a couple of those. That's probably what I'll do with some of the 8 lbs I froze.
> 
> These were last year's pies:



You got my mailing address right?  Those look so good.  We really need to get those transporter machines from science fiction, to science fact.  You have one at your house, I'll have one at mine.  I'll smoke a turkey on the Webber, you make cherry pie. Or would you rather have the pork crown roast?   Main course at my house, desert at yours.

Sounds good to me.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## CWS4322 (Jul 17, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> Well, we ended up picking right around 16 lbs of cherries. I put half in the freezer and used the other half to make cherry preserves and liqueur.
> 
> I was up until 2:00 am pitting cherries and canning. So I'm a little tired and wobbly today. I had a long boring meeting at work this afternoon and it was all I could do to stay awake.


Look great, Steve. Pitting cherries always takes longer than one thinks it will, even with the right tool. And, aren't most business meetings boring? I confess, I have fallen asleep more than once on a conference call...good thing I always have the phone on MUTE!


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## CharlieD (Jul 17, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> Well, we ended up picking right around 16 lbs of cherries. ...


WOW. I'm jealous. My tree did not have a single cherry this year.



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## CharlieD (Jul 17, 2014)

Is there any place in MN or Wisconsin to buy the cherries? Do you know?

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