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Simple Uses for Cherries

 

When you have a large crop of cherries from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include them in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use them up before they go bad without getting sick of them.  You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.


Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple!  Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve cherries.  Most points refer to cherry fruits unless otherwise noted.


  • Pair fresh or dried cherries with almonds for a protein- and antioxidant-rich snack or side.

  • Make infused water with them alone, with lime slices, or with leaves of peppermint, spearmint, and/or other mints.

  • Make a smoothie with cherries and milk or a milk substitute.  Various berries, especially blackberry and similar berries, can also be great additions if desired.



  • Add them to chocolate chip cookies.

  • Add them to other baked goods like quickbreads, tarts, muffins, and pancakes.

  • Dip them in chocolate or chocolate dip.


  • Dry cherry bark and make a tincture with it.  An herb:solvent ratio of 1:5 at 40% alcohol is suggested for a cherry bark tincture.  Be sure to fully dry the bark before use in herbal preparations.  See the safety concerns information in the gardening facts article here for more information.


  • Make cherry jam or jelly with the fruits.

  • Freeze them.  If you're in a hurry, you can freeze whole cherries with pits intact.  But removing the pits before freezing will make later use much easier.

  • Dry them in the oven or dehydrator.  Dried cherries are a great alternative to raisins and other dried fruits, and they go well in many trail mixes and granolas.



Further Reading

Growing cherries?  Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.


Cherries are also featured in these articles:


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