Cherry Compote - The Jo Baker (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with too many fresh cherries? ›

Don't worry. Cherries are a surprisingly versatile ingredient. You can, of course, put them into a classic cherry pie, but beyond that, cherries stand up nicely to heat and add a tangy, bright pop to savory dishes. You can roast them, fry them, stir-fry them, and dehydate them.

Overripe fruit, if it hasn't lost all of its juice, can still impart some good flavor to a sauce. Chop it into small bits (or whiz it in a blender) and add it to some chicken stock and balsamic vinegar to make a glaze or sauce for meat.

Other popular flavor pairings for cherries include balsamic vinegar, almond, dark chocolate, cola, vanilla and both red and white wine. Rainier cherries have a unique flavor and texture and therefore may pair well with slightly different flavors.

Intestinal gas, cramps and bloating are other common side effects caused by consuming immoderate amounts of cherries. Cherries do not contain many essential vitamins and minerals and so cannot be used as a replacement for other nutrition-rich foods.

Cherries will keep in the freezer for 6 months, or up to a year in a deep freezer. I froze approximately 54 cherries, and that yielded one quart size bag of frozen cherries.

Keep 'em cold! Cherries will spoil quickly if left out at room temperature, so you should pop them in the refrigerator immediately upon getting home from the grocery store. Once in the fridge, cherries can last for about a week.

However, their pit, leaves, and stems all contain cyanide, which is toxic to dogs. Be careful that your dog does not eat these parts of a cherry. When the pit, leaves, and stem are removed, fresh cherries are completely fine for healthy puppies and adult dogs—in small portions.

To eat a cherry, place the cherry (not the stem) into your mouth. Eat around the pit. Once finished, discreetly place the pit into your hand and place into the bowl or vessel provided by your host.

Gin left just enough hint of cherry to make us long for more of the fruit's essence, but the sharp alcohol bite dissuaded us from sampling further. The whiskey and tequila cherries transformed into straight up edible booze. Even the vodka cherries were overcome by the flavor of the traditionally neutral spirit.

How do you make sure cherries don't have worms? ›

Good control can be achieved with a few well-timed pesticide sprayings beginning when the earliest maturing variety in the orchard is just starting to turn from green to straw-colored. Traps should also be set to determine if the fruit flies are present.

Salting fruit has also been described as a way to rebalance the over-sweetness of modern-day fruit, much of which has been bred for maximum sugar content. Salt subdues the intensity of the sugar, making it more palatable. If you haven't tried salt on cherries yet, you should.

Washing fruits and vegetables not only helps remove dirt, bacteria, and stubborn garden pests, but it also helps remove residual pesticides. Under running water, rub fruits and vegetables briskly with your hands to remove dirt and surface microorganisms.

Cherries will last in the freezer for around 6 months but will be fine up to a year when properly frozen. This means you can enjoy the sweet taste of cherries year-round, even when the cherry season is over.

Cherries, pitted or with pits, may be frozen without sugar, in water or unsweetened fruit juice, or dry, but the texture will be softer when thawed. Sweet cherries may be frozen in a single layer on shallow trays before packing into containers or zip-type plastic bags to prevent them from sticking together.

Cherries require coolness and dryness. Getting your cherries in the fridge—and quickly—will automatically keep them fresh longer. If you skip washing and lay them out flat (rather than pile them on top of each other in a bag or container), you'll see even better results.