Cherries Galore!
By Monica Resinger
We are very lucky have two old sweet cherry trees in our yard. When we first
moved here, the trees were so tall you couldn’t get to the cherries, so the
birds and squirrels were well fed.
After the first year, my husband and his friend topped them to a reachable
level and for the first few years we didn’t get many cherries. This year was
different, very different. We had enough cherries to supply the birds,
squirrels,
neighbors, family and our freezer! We also had enough to eat fresh, and make
some jam, crisp and pie.
To freeze cherries, simply wash, drain, and pit them. Pack them into sturdy
freezer containers and freeze. It’s as simple as that. Later you can make
desserts or jam with them.
Here are my recipes for jam, crisp and pie:
Sweet Cherry Jam:
Wash, pit and finely chop enough cherries to equal 4 1/2 cups. The chopping
can be done in a food processor. Put cherries into saucepan and add 6 1/4 cups
sugar. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and add 1 package of powdered
pectin. Return to a rolling boil, and boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat
and skim off any foam with a spoon. Ladle into sterilized canning jars filling
to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with flat lids
then screw bands tightly. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
Cherry Crisp:
For filling, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Toss
with 5 cups fresh, pitted cherries. Place mixture in an 8 X 1 1/2 inch round
baking dish.
For topping, in a mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup regular rolled oats, 1/2 cup
packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in
1/4 cup margarine or butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle
over filling.
Bake in a 375* oven for 30-35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is
golden. Serve warm with ice cream if desired. Serves 6.
Quick, Fresh Sweet Cherry Pie
Quick, Fresh Sweet Cherry Pie
Heat oven to 425*. Line a 9" pie pan with bottom piecrust. Stir together
sugar and flour; mix with cherries. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan. Cover with
top
crust which has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Brush milk over top crust
and sprinkle with a couple teaspoons of sugar. Bake 35-45 minutes or until crust
is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. *note be sure to
place the pie pan on a cookie sheet to prevent oven spills.
Cherry tip: A fast easy way to pit cherries: hold the cherry between your
thumb and index finger with stem end pointing towards a bowl and squeeze. The
pit
should pop out with some juice. Be sure to catch the flavorful juice to use
in your recipes.
It was a bit stressful trying to keep up with everything and take care of the
cherries, but it was all worth it in the end. We enjoyed luscious desserts,
fresh fruit, but most importantly we were able to share our bountiful harvest!
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