who knows their cherry varieties?

Harvesting and preserving your fruit & veg

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic
pongeroon
KG Regular
Posts: 580
Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:44 pm
Location: worcester

We have access for the last time this year to some big old cherry trees which were part of a productive fruit farm many years ago.

Usually the birds strip the cherries before they ripen, but this year there are so many that the birds are fat and full and still there are cherries for us. :D

We have no idea what variety they are. Some are large black sweet cherries, and some are sweeter pink cherries. There are also some smaller red ones which are not such a good flavour.

I'm freezing as many as I can (with my mouth full of cherries :lol: ) but can I make jam out of sweet cherries, or is it only Morello cherries, and what do they look like?
Top
Beryl
KG Regular
Posts: 1588
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:06 pm
Location: Gosport, Hants.
Contact:
Contact Beryl

Being old trees I couldn't name the variety but the paler ones sounds like what we used to refer to as 'White Hearts' one of the best for eating fresh in my opinion but there again the dark cherries are delicious to.

I have made jam from sweet cherries. Its very successful if you like a sweet jam.

I'm experimenting this year with freezing as I have bumper crop of Sunburst. A dark sweet cherry. I have stoned them,filled a 2ltre icream tub and then added the juice of 3 lemons. Given the box a good shake. Hopefully this will prevent them going brown when thawed. Have tried sugar syrup and found it to sweet. Any other ideas gratefully received.

Enjoy your cherries.

Beryl.
Top
Nature's Babe
KG Regular
Posts: 2468
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:02 pm
Location: East Sussex

Beryl, you could preserve some in alcohol and sugar, but in a container that excludes light if you want to retain good colour.
Sit down before a fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconcieved notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
By Thomas Huxley
http://www.wildrye.info/reserve/
Top
Beryl
KG Regular
Posts: 1588
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:06 pm
Location: Gosport, Hants.
Contact:
Contact Beryl

That's an idea - thank you. Most of the cherry keeps well frozen, its just the little bit of exposed flesh where the stone has come out that turns a bit brown.

Beryl.
Top
pongeroon
KG Regular
Posts: 580
Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:44 pm
Location: worcester

Thanks for the replies :D

I think I will try a bit of everything. I've already stashed away some cherries in brandy for Christmas. I'll make some jam with the red ones as they are not quite as sweet. I will try the lemon juice method for freezing as well as what I usually do with fruit, which is cook gently in its own juice without sugar. This can then be used for puddings, more jam, anything really, though a lot of it goes on my morning porridge. Raspberries and plums are my favourites for this, yum. :D

Must get the reserve freezer in the shed fired up, the kitchen one is stuffed already....
Top
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Harvesting Q&A”