Food & Recipes

Cherry: Fruit of the Month

Storing Cherries for Freshness

Loosely pack unwashed cherries in plastic bags or pour them into a shallow pan in a single layer and cover with plastic wrap to minimize bruising. Store cherries in the refrigerator and cherries in good condition should last up to a week. Check the fruit occasionally and remove the cherries that have gone bad. Wash the fruit before eating.

You can freeze cherries by rinsing and draining thoroughly, spreading them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and placing in the freezer overnight. Once the cherries are frozen, transfer them to a heavy plastic bag. The frozen fruit may be kept up to a year.

Preparing Cherries to Eat

Most cherries bought at the market are eaten raw, alone or accompanied by other fruits. Simply wash the fruit and serve with the stems.

For cooking, pit cherries either by hand or with a pitter. Poaching is the most common form of preparation. Drop cherries into a small amount of simmering water, or a combination of water and wine, and cook for one to three minutes until soft. Poach using the formula of one cup liquid to two cups cherries.

Tips to Make Cherries Part of Your Day

• Add cherries to a fruit salad to add color, flavor and variety.
• Poached cherries make an excellent topping for low fat ice cream or low fat frozen yogurt.
• Dried cherries add sweetness to oatmeal or trail mix.

Recipes

Fresh Northwest Cherry Salsa
Makes 4 servings, each serving equals one 5 A Day serving.
Source: Produce for Better Health

Ingredients

2 cups pitted fresh or frozen sweet cherries
1/3 cup Basil, fresh, chopped
1/3 cup Green peppers, finely chopped
2 tsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp Each of: Worcestershire sauce and grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp Salt
Dash of bottled hot pepper sauce
Chop cherries in food processor or manually. Combine all ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
 

Nutritional Analysis: Calories 124, Total Fat 0g, Calories from Fat 2%, Protein 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 5g, Sodium 168 mg.

Grilled Salmon Cherry Sauce
Makes 6 servings, each servings equals one 5 A Day serving.
Source: Northwest Cherry Growers

Ingredients

3 cups pitted Northwest fresh sweet cherries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp freshly grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
In large saucepan, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high hear. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently. Great served over grilled salmon.
 

Nutritional Analysis: Calories 172, Total Fat 1g, Calories from Fat 5%, Carbohydrates 36g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 4g, Sodium 370mg, Protein 2g.