Cherries Galore!

Pitting Cherries

If you don’t have a cherry pitter, you don’t need to buy one. Try this sweet and inexpensive way to pit cherries:

Remove stems from cherries. Hold a cherry, stem side up, resting on the top of a clean, empty beer or soda bottle. Using the blunt end of a chopstick or a heavy-duty drinking straw, push the pit through the cherry. Repeat with remaining cherries. The pits end up inside the bottle for easy cleanup.

*Note: to avoid staining your hands and clothing: wear rubber gloves and an apron as you pit the cherries.

Some cherry recipes for you:

Northwest Cherry Bounce

(Serve this special concoction in small cordial glasses.)

Prep:    20 minutes

Stand: 14 days

Yield:   About 2 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh sweet cherries

½ cup sugar

3 inches stick cinnamon

2 cups vodka

Directions:

1.      In a large jar with a lid, combine cherries, sugar, and cinnamon. Add vodka. Cover jar; let stand for 14 days.

2.      Every day for the 14 days, turn and gently shake or swirl the liquid in the jar.

3.      After 14 days, pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium jar; discard solids. Store strained liquid, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

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Pickled Sweet Cherries

Prep:    25 minutes

Cook:   15 minutes

Chill:    1 week

Yield:   (32) 1/4-cup servings

Ingredients:

8 cups fresh sweet cherries

2 fresh thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1 cup red wine vinegar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp salt

6 whole black peppercorns

4 whole cloves

Directions:

1.      Pack cherries, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into (2) 1-quart canning jars.

2.      In a medium saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns and cloves. Bring to boiling; stirring to dissolve brown sugar. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Cool.

3.      Pour vinegar mixture over cherries in jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Cover jars with metal lids; screw on bands. Chill pickled cherries in refrigerator for at least 1 week before serving.

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Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Cherries and Gorgonzola

Prep Time:       25 minutes

Grill:                30 minutes

Stand:              10 minutes

Yield:               4 servings

Ingredients:

(1) 14 to 18-ounce pork tenderloin

1 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1 cup fresh pitted sweet cherries

¼ cup chopped green onions

Salt

Ground black pepper

Directions:

1.      Trim fat from meat. Make a lengthwise cut down the center of the meat, cutting almost thru the other side. Spread open. Place meat between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of meat mallet, pound meat lightly from center to edges until meat is about ½ inch thick. Remove plastic wrap.

2.      For filling, in a small bowl, stir together cheese, cherries and onions.

3.      Spread filling over the meat to within ½ inch of the edges. Starting from a long side, roll up the meat. Tie at 2-inch intervals with 100% cotton kitchen string. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.

4.      For a charcoal grill, arrange hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium-hot heat above the pan. Place meat on grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 30-35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in meat registers 155 degrees F. (For a gas grill, pre-heat grill. Reduce heat to medium-high. Adjust for indirect cooking. Place meat on a rack in a roasting pan; place pan on grill. Grill as above.)

5.      Remove meat from grill. Cover loosely with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. Remove and discard string. Slice meat. Makes 4 servings.

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Sweet Cherry Sangria

Prep Time:       20 minutes

Chill Time:       24 hours

Yield:               10-12 servings

Ingredients:

(2) 750-millimeter bottles red wine or rose wine

1 cup brandy

1 cup unsweetened cherry juice

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

½ cup simple syrup (Recipe below)

¼ cup kirsh or other cherry brandy

¼ cup orange liquor

2 cups fresh pitted sweet cherries

2 oranges, halved lengthwise and sliced

Ice cubes

Directions:

1.      In an extra-large pitcher, combine all ingredients expect for cherries and orange slices. Stir to mix well.

2.      Add cherries and orange slices. Stir to mix.

3.      Cover and chill for at least 24 hours. Serve over ice.

Simple Syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool syrup completely before using.

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Sweet Cherry – Bourbon Barbeque Sauce

Prep Time:       20 minutes

Cook Time:      30 minutes

Yield:               about 1-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1/3 cup finely chopped onion (1 small)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups fresh pitted sweet cherries, chopped

½ cup bourbon

¼ cup chili sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tsp Dijon-style mustard

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1.      In a medium saucepan; cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in cherries, bourbon, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring occasionally.

2.      Brush sauce on beef, pork, or poultry during the last 10 minutes of grilling.

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Northwest Cherry Sorbet

Prep Time:       15 minutes

Freeze:             1 hour

Yield:               6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ tsp almond extract

4 cups frozen pitted sweet cherries

Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Directions:

1.      In a medium bowl, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and almond extract; stirring until most of the sugar is dissolved. Cover and freezes for 1 hour.

2.      Place the grater attachment on a food processor. With processor running push frozen cherries through the grater. Immediately stir in grated cherries into lemon mixture.

3.      Serve immediately. Or transfer the slushy mixture to an airtight container. Cover and freeze about 1 hour or until firm. If desired, garnish each serving with mint.