06.14.09

U-Pick…

Posted in Cherries at 8:14 pm by cecilia

This weekend turned out to be perfect for cherry-picking in Brentwood, CA. It wasn’t too hot, and there were a few clouds in the sky to help provide some shade every now and then. Cherry orchards are open to public for picking only from May to June here in northern California. The exact dates could vary every year. We got lucky and decided to go right in the middle of the season. I’m no expert to picking cherries. But this much I know, pick the ones that are large and plump, and with intense bright color. Those are usually the sweetest ones. And they are typically higher in the tree. Or maybe because the low-hanging sweet ones usually get picked before I get to them. This is an occasion where being tall helps. In my case, I brought my husband M.

After 90 minutes of diligent picking, we ended up with 22 lbs. of bing cherries! And I thought filling up a bucket would only give us 5 lbs. I was planning to bring some to a few friends. But still, we ended up with over 10 lbs. of these nature’s sweet candies. After being picked, ripe cherries don’t like staying uneaten very long, maybe up to 10 days if you store them properly. Here are a few things I’m going to do with the excess cherries.

STORING

• Preserve cherries by ONLY rinsing them when you are ready to eat them.
• Store the unwashed cherries in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
• Periodically check your refrigerated cherries to remove rotten ones in order to preserve the good ones.

FREEZING

• Rinse the cherries in cold water. Drain completely.
• Spread the cherries in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze.
• Keep frozen cherries in a freezer-safe plastic bag or container. Record the date you freeze the cherries by writing it on the bag or a label on the container.

Note: Cherries can be kept for up to one year in the freezer.

JAMMING – Making preserves

Nothing fancy, I’m using the simplest recipe one could find. There are only 3 ingredients used in making this cherry preserves. Note that I’m only using the natural pectin in the cherries and lemons to help form the jelly consistency. The product might appear less gel like than regular store bought preserves.

Ingredients:
3-5 lbs. Cherries
3 Lemons
3 cups Sugar

1. Sterilize the jars and lids, used to store the end product, in a canner if you have one. Or in boiling water for at least 5-15 minutes depending on the altitude of your kitchen.
2. Wash the cherries under cold water and drain thoroughly.
3. Put on a dark colored shirt or something you don’t mind staining. This could get messy.
4. Remove the pits. The quickest way is with a pitter. Otherwise, use a knife to cut the cherries open to remove the pits. Do so over a large bowl to catch the juice and all, after discarding the pits.
5. Add the zest and juice from the lemons to the cherries.
6. Cook the cherry mixture in a large heavy pan over medium high heat until the cherries appear all soft. This might take 15-20 minutes. Stir periodically with a heat-proof spatula.
7. Add the sugar to the cooked cherries. It might seem like a lot of sugar, but it actually helps keep the cherry preserves from spoiling in the refrigerator.
8. Heat the sweetened mixture further, stirring and scraping the bottom to cook the cherries evenly.
9. When the mixture thickens and appear “jelly-like” on the spatula, it’s ready. Or if you want to be more scientific, use a candy thermometer to make sure the mixture reaches 220°F. Do not overcook the mixture.
10. Skim off the foam if there’s any. Ladle the preserves through a wide-mouthed funnel or use a measuring cup to fill the sterile jars.
11. Let the preserves cool. Then store in the refrigerator.

CHERRY CLAFOUTIS – a recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago here.

Happy cherry season!

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