Cherries are one of the most delicious fruits out there. They are the favorites of many for their sweet taste and small size. In addition to its unique taste, there are many health benefits that are associated with consistent consumption of cherries, such as reduced risk of cancer and heart disease or improved sleep. Knowing that, there is no reason not to include cherries in your diet. As with the best things in life, there is also an art to appreciating cherries. People take for granted simple pleasures like focusing on their sweet taste, feasting on their juice, and savoring the sour taste that comes after tasting them. Best of all, you can add them to most of your favorite recipes. There are endless things you can do with this great fruit.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Enjoy cherries alone
Step 1. Know the types of cherries
Most people think that cherries are a small red fruit and that they are of only one type, but they are not. There are many varieties of cherries, each with its own shape, size, and use. The best thing to do first is to do some research and find out what you want the cherries for. Here are some of the most popular varieties of cherries that you should know:
- Bing cherries are the best known, the archetypal cherries. They are red and very versatile, so they are good to use in recipes or to eat alone.
- Rainier cherries are large cherries with a yellow hue. When they are very ripe, their color changes to a more reddish one.
- Lapin cherries are usually a bit large and dark red in color. They are perfect for making jams.
Step 2. Buy your cherries (preferably handpick)
While it is true that there are canned and packaged cherries, it is best to buy fresh cherries whenever you can. The best option is to choose them by hand because that way you can have more control over which ones you are going to buy. Go to a local, reliable producer store, and buy a bag.
One rule is that if you are going to buy the famous bing cherries, you have to choose the darkest of all. The darker colored cherries are the ripest and sweetest in flavor. Slightly lighter colored cherries are generally more tart and are better for baking than eating alone
Step 3. Wash the cherries in hot water
It will be safer to eat the cherries once you wash them at home with a lot of water because that way you will remove all the pesticides that are there. This rule applies to all non-canned products, so be sure to rinse them before using them. It is enough to place them under the tap for 30 seconds.
Try to avoid washing the cherries before storing them. Adding moisture will dry them out and change their flavor; that is why it is better to wash them only before eating them
Step 4. Peel the cherries
The most complex and unique aspect of eating cherries is the ginning process. It is true that it is not necessary to remove the seeds from the cherries, but if you leave them, you will have to spit them because eating them is a bit toxic. In the case of peaches, the fruit around the pit is easy to eat, but the cherries are so small that they need to be removed manually. There are many ways to do it and it is best to try in different ways to find out which is the best option for you.
- The best option if you are going to eat a lot of cherries is to use a special gin for this fruit. These simple gadgets are almost always reasonably priced and can make the process much quicker (doing it by hand would take longer).
- If you are not interested in choosing a gin, you can use a chopstick and a glass bottle. Place a cherry on the spout of the bottle with the stem facing up and press the chopstick through the cherry. The seed should fall into the bottle. Unlike other methods, you don't need to clean with this one.
- For a simple and easy solution to plucking your cherries, take a knife and cut around the edge of the stem. Once you have cut, take out the seed. This process takes much longer than the other methods mentioned above, but it will help if you don't have a lot of utensils on hand.
- If you want to avoid going through this process to gin them, you can buy a package of pitted cherries. However, you have to remember that these are less fresh than the ones that you can choose by hand.
Step 5. Find a quiet and relaxed place to enjoy your cherries
It can be said that what is most underestimated when someone eats is "where" they eat. If you try to eat in a busy and busy place, you won't have a memorable snacking experience. Find a place where you don't have to worry about things other than your cherries.
You may think that having a certain type of ritual when eating cherries is beneficial. You can enrich your experience just by having a favorite chair in which you sit to eat your cherries or by thinking that this moment has a special importance
Step 6. Taste the cherry
It goes without saying that the most important part of enjoying cherries is eating them. The key is to extend the experience: let the cherry stay on your tongue and focus on the flavor while you bite into it. Close your eyes and let your taste buds value each cherry for what it is worth.
Savoring food is a lost art in today's age of opportunism and efficiency. If you have trouble taking time out while eating, try giving yourself about 45 seconds to enjoy each cherry
Step 7. Freeze everything you are not going to eat
It is important that you know that cherries are very perishable. If you're lucky, they can last up to a week in the fridge. If you want to save yourself the constant hustle and bustle of going back to the grocery store, you can freeze them together. Take them out and let them thaw for a few hours before eating them.
It's best to eat frozen cherries a year from now, regardless of how delicious they are, it's not like you're going to have them there for a fraction of that time
Method 2 of 2: Using Cherries in Recipes
Step 1. Find some recipes
If you are new to cooking with cherries, it is best to look for common options online. Most of the time, cherries are used in desserts because they taste sweet. For other recipes (especially those that are baked), you will need tart cherries, of a lighter color. If you are adding them to garnish or flavor something, like a sundae, you will need the cherries to be dark and sweet. You don't have to decide immediately, but it's good that you have at least an idea of what you want to do with the cherries.
Step 2. Prepare the cherries as if you were going to eat them alone
This includes washing them and removing the pit. Remember this is even more important when you use them in a recipe. For example, if you use cherries for a cake without ginning them, the entire cake will be ruined.
Step 3. Bake them in a cake
The most common use for cherries in cooking is probably in cakes. Cherry pie is a staple in many cafes and for a very good reason. If you want, you can add cherries to the whole cake or you can crush them into a thick batter and distribute them evenly. You can also try baking with cherry jam. When it comes to baking, there are many possibilities; look for specific recipes and you will get a delicious summer treat.
Step 4. Put them in salads
A simpler way to add cherries is in salads because they can have all kinds of fruits and vegetables. You won't need a lot of cherries to flavor your salad; a few will give your food that tangy taste you will never forget.
Step 5. Flavor an ice cream sundae with a cherry
Ice cream sundae is a supreme dessert in every sense of the word. You can improve it by putting a cherry on top of a little whipped cream. Adding cherries, in addition to giving a very good flavor, has an extra benefit: showing off your visual panaché. It is an easy way to make homemade concoctions have that presentation of exquisite gastronomy.
For the sundaes, you will need darker, sweeter cherries. The tangy taste of unripe cherries does not complement the taste of ice cream very much
Step 6. Make cherry jam. Jam is one of the most versatile creations you can make with fruits. The sweetness of the cherries makes them perfect for jams. Peel the cherries, remove the stems and cut them into fine pieces. Then add a little sugar and pectin, and mix everything until you get a smooth paste. Then bring the mixture to a boil. Search for special recipes and you will have your own homemade jam in no time.
Cherry jam on bread is the best, but if you put it on cakes or ice cream it is also a good idea
Advice
Thanks to their small size, cherries are perfect to carry around when you are out and about. Store a bunch of cherries in a bag and eat them whenever you're hungry
Warnings
- Some people consider spitting out the pit to be rude, so keep this in mind if you want to. If you're not sure what other people think about it, ask them.
- Cherries are delicious, but they can also be messy. Its juice stains clothes, so be careful when you eat them.
- Cherries cause diarrhea if you eat a certain amount of them; so be sure to be near a bathroom if you plan to eat a lot.
- When you eat cherries in excess, you can get a mild stomach ache. It may be a bit difficult for you to measure yourself, but by keeping your intake under control, you will limit the risk of feeling sick afterward.