What to Do with Cherries?

Make lots of jellies and jams. Give them away as gifts if you have too much. That is always a nice gift.

Hi N.,

Growing up we had a lot of fresh berries where we lived. My Mom used to take a *Blueberries & Cream Muffin* recipe and substitute other berries. She would make a huge batch & then seperate it into mason jars & freeze it...that way if she wanted muffins for breakfast or to give to others, she just pulled it out the night before! Also, you can always add them to banana bread recipies etc.
Oh, but always use a and cream muffin recipe it makes tehm softer longer!! A great site is www.allresipies.com They also have a spot where you can add an ingrediant...cherrries & it will pull up all the resipies they have which require cherries!!
Hpe your deployment is going well!! Thank your husband & yourself from our family! We just went through a 13 month deployment to Iraq, so I know how it can be!!
God bless you & your family!!

Sincerely,

S.

I would think that jam would be your best bet, but freezing or canning lets you decide what to do later on. You have my admiration, alone with all those littles, hubby away, and you are putting food up- great gal! Jam- jars- make great Christmas gifts! I once had access to some wonderful peaches. I bought a flat of the pretty "quilted jam jars" and made lots of batches. I gave tham as favors at my son's rehearsal dinner. North Carolina peach jam. They were a hit. You could do it now, fix the jars like christmas giving.

Pit and dehydrate them - use them is recipes in place of raisins. I did this last year and it worked great!!!! I would also suggest putting up a sign and selling them for extra money - I paid $2.99/lb. for cherries last year (pick my own). Although it was really fun to do with the kids - they are too expensive to pick again this year.

I have a friend who has a fig tree with the same problem. She asked around at local restaurants and found one that purchases figs from her. They even put the name of my friend's farm on the back of the menu! I don't know if there's a demand for cherries, but it's worth a try. I would also check farmer's markets, nurseries and local grocery stores.

Hey N.,
One perfect summer recipe...Cherry-Sorbet. So easy and the kids love it. Take 4 tsp. iced tea mix, 1 1/4 c. water, 2 tsp. lemon juice, & 3 c. FROZEN tart cherries. Freeze yours before using...preferably on a baking sheet so they dont freeze into a single lump. Mix the tea, lemon juice, and water together, and then add half to a blender with half the frozen cherries, and then the same for the next half. It should come out exactly like a smooth italian ice and whats great is that you can put it in a container to freeze and when your ready to serve again just put in blender and re-blend until smooth!

You are so lucky to have a fruit tree on your property! I'm jealous! Have you thought about selling them to firneds (and friends of friends)? Where I live, fresh cherries at $5.99 per pound is considered a good deal. You could sell them for less, maybe $4 or $5 per pound, which would be a great deal for the buyer and extra gas money in your pocket to boot! (If you're in a military family, I'm sure every extra bit helps!) My grandmother did the same thing with the pecans that grew in her yard - she sold them at a bargain price (compared to what they cost at the supermarket), so people were happy to buy them from her, and she had a little extra cash for the holidays.

I will pray for your husband's safe return!

Dry or dehydrate them to put in baked goods or granola throught out the year?

Hi N.,

I would love to buy some cherrys from you.I never see sour cherrys in the stores. To me it is a rare froot around here. I don't mind picking them if that would help you. Please let me know if it is possible for me to buy some.
Thanks, Lana.

you can buy a pack of sure-gel canning agent and it should have a recipe for jam inside the box. or you could give some away to neighbors.

you could get some plain yogurt and make cherry yougurt, or package some up and sell them.

I made cherry freezer jam with mine and it was wonderful. We have since lost the tree but my daughter still talks about how wonderful the jam was when she was a baby.

if you have neighbors, I'm sure some of them would love a few!!! Always makes for a good relationship

Hey N.. Call a local food shelter, I think they'd welcome the chance to offer fresh fruit. If not, call a senior living facility. Good luck keeping sane~!!!!

Freeze em! Then you can have fresh cherries all winter long.

Gather them up and give them to neighbors and family and friends. They will appreciate the gesture and might even return it with something of their own. Or set up a fruit stand and sell them, all profit :)

It sounds like you're too busy to put up a fruit stand but maybe you could sell them in other ways. My family loves cherries and they are so expensive.

Make freezer jam out of the cherries. Get you some sure-jel and it has a recipe inside. I took mine and put them in the blender and then throught the colander and they ready for your recipe.

If it were me, I would pit and give some to my friends and family to use. I am always trying to find ways to help others, so that would be my first thought.

I second the food shelter or senior living center idea!!

See if you can find a recipe for frozen cherry preserves.
Also, I happened to think that you might consider making juice with them?? It could be used to flavor soft drinks, or to mix with other juices.

Hope this helps, and that you get lots of ideas!! It would be a shame to waste the cherries.

D.

You could put them on CraigsList or Freecycle for free...surely someone would want them.

If you have enough for you and yours, take any extras to the local food pantry. They would be more than happy to put them with their food boxes. We have a samll garden and any extra cucumbers and squash, we donate. It is rare that these folks get any fresh fruits and vegetables. Pay it forward

Ooo.. so many things! You can make jam for toast and such, you could use them in muffins and pancakes, or cheesecake, you can make jars of preserves as gifts. You could dehydrate them and use them in granola bars or as a healthy snack for your toddlers. Cherry tarts would be delicious!

Here are some links with a TON of great ideas. You lucky girl, you!

http://www.choosecherries.com/recipes/main.aspx

http://homecooking.about.com/b/2007/06/06/cherry-recipes.htm

http://whatscookingamerica.net/CherryRecipes.htm (There is one here for "Chilled Sour Cherry Soup that sounds magnificent.)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Fruits-and-Vegetables/Fruit...

and

http://www.mi-cherries.com/recipe.htm

Hope you find some things you like and have fin making a ton of cherry treats!

You could also can the cherries in mason jars and give them out as gifts. You can make jam with big delicious chunks of cherries as well.

cherrie jelly,jams,juice,cherrie cobbler,cherrie turnovers,cherries in a bowl with sugar for a quick desert,over vanilla ice cream,make smoothies or milkshakes with cherries.try thease web sites for recipes:southernfood.about.com/od/.../Cherry_Recipes_Recipes_with_Cherries.htm

www.recipezaar.com/recipes/cherries -

whatscookingamerica.net/CherryRecipes.htm -

allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Cooking/Summer/.../Cherries/Main.aspx

www.cherryfestival.org/cherries/recipes.php

www.choosecherries.com/recipes/main.aspx
i'm sure you can find some some good ideas so they dont go to waist good luck and enjoy.

We so seldom get the fruit off my poor little cherry tree! The birds beat us to them! I'm jealous you have the opportunity to use them. :-)