Ode to Tart Cherries & a few Quasi-Recipes
Why they are the only true option for pie, how to freeze them, and more.
Check out my recent posts on Instagram for some more visuals of this cherry content.
I love cherry-flavored candies. I always go for the red ones in the pack. But I used to absolutely hate actual cherries, an, as a kid, cherry pie disgusted me.
It all changed one summer. I worked as a carpenter (yes, that was my job title) for the theatre department at Interlochen Arts Camp outside of Traverse City, Michigan. One late July lunch, cherry pie appeared in the cafeteria. My colleagues sprinted to get some. I told them I didn't like cherry pie. One of them refused to believe that, so she went to get me a slice. "These pies are different," she said. She was right. But she should have said, "These cherries are different." That pie changed my life.
Pardon my nerdiness, but we have to talk about cherries. I recently listened to a podcast with the wise Claire Saffitz, where she announced that she prefers fruit desserts, with sour cherry as the pinnacle. I passionately agree, so let's get into some more detail.
When it comes to cherries you can divide them into different types.
First, is sweet versus tart. Sweet cherries taste sweet, and you can eat them raw. Then we have the other type: you can call them tart or sour cherries. (I choose to say tart because for some people sour has a more negative connotation than tart. Tart is pucker-y and makes your mouth water, but sour makes you cringe and think of when something has "gone sour" e.g. sour milk. I digress.)
Secondly, we have the different varieties. There are probably hundreds of different cultivars of cherries, both sweet and tart. Sweet and tart cherries can generally be further divided into those with dark-colored flesh and those with light colored flesh. Below are some of the broad categories and a few specific varietals that I see most often. I get my cherries from Michigan, so my knowledge is based around what grows there.
Dark sweet cherries (on the left, like Bing cherries): Dark color—from a deep red to almost black, deep red or dark, firm flesh. A classic rich and refreshing cherry flavor. These are best eaten fresh, fine in cooking, but they lack acidity, so you don’t need much additional sugar. If baking with these, I add some tart cherries, lemon juice, or another tart fruit to balance the flavor. Dark sweet cherries work great fresh (or soaked in a kirsch-spiked syrup) in sweet dishes like Black Forest Cake, in a trifle, or on top of a cream-slathered pavlova.
Rainier cherries (center): Pink-ish/golden color, creamy-colored flesh. subtle, fresh, sweet, almost peachy. Again, these are best eating fresh, but pair nicely with tangy fruit like apricots or raspberries when cooked. Like dark sweet cherries, these work great in fresh applications. Pitted Rainier cherries can brown a bit if left exposed to the air, so it's good to toss them with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning if you're not eating them right away. Rainier is one light-colored variety, but there are other light-colored sweet cherries. (If you can find Royal Anne cherries, taste incredible!)
Montmorency tart cherries (right): Bright red, white flesh, soft texture. A bit tart and astringent, so not for eating fresh. The ultimate cherry for baking and the only real option for cherry pie. When baking with these, they need a decent amount of sugar and then they transform into that bright red, cherry-candy like flavor. Heaven.
Montmorency are the most widely-grown tart variety in the United States More than two-thirds of all Montmorency tart cherries are grown in Michigan, and most of those are grown in the pinky finger of the state, which is the area around Traverse City.
Balaton tart cherries (not pictured): Dark red, deep red flesh, soft texture but a bit firmer than Montmorency. Too tart to eat plain, but not as tart as Montmorency. A bit of a subtle spicy flavor. Good for canning or candying. Great for baking and they’re lovely to mix with Montmorency in a pie. Many Michigan cherry orchards grow some of these varieties, too.
More about Montmorency:
Since I'm rhapsodizing about tart cherries, let's go into some more detail on these supreme drupes. Montmorency tart cherries stand out as my favorite cherry to bake with.
Theoretically, you can eat tart cherries raw. But few people do. They are typically sweetened and used in baked goods, get sweetened and dried, or are canned in a sugar syrup.
If you eat a raw a Montmorency cherry, it tastes tart/sour, a bit astringent, but it has a bright fruitiness, and sometimes a hint of an almond extract-y aroma. Although they're called "tart," these tart cherries can even have higher sugar levels (measured in brix) than sweet varieties, but the tartness makes them taste less sweet. Add some sugar to tart cherries, cook them, and you get the flavor of those cherry-red candies. To me, that's magic. This fruit tastes like actual candy!
Montmorency cherries have a light-colored flesh and are very soft. If you happen to buy fresh ones, keep them in the refrigerator, and try to pit them within two to three days. I try to pit them the day I buy them, if possible. They do not last long. After being pitted, the cherries’ light-colored flesh tends to go brown, so either cook them right away or freeze them right away. Keep on reading for some cherry recipes and and instrucitons on how freeze them.
I'm no scientist, but supposedly tart cherries are good for you. We know for sure that they're good for the soul.
My Favorite Cherry Pitters
I have both of these pitters and make good use of them.
Best for pitting a lot of cherries: Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter: https://amzn.to/3PNtQZ0
Best for beginners or if you just need to pit a handful of cherries: OXO Cherry Pitter: https://amzn.to/3O88fJQ
Freezing Tart Cherries
Watch my Instragram post for video instructions and my cherry-juice-splattered face.
Get your tart cherries, remove the stems and then wash them in cold water twice. I like to use my salad spinner for this task. Drain the cherries, pit them, then transfer them to a parchment-lined (or silpat-lined) rimmed baking sheet. Use whatever size baking sheet will fit in your freezer. Before freezing the cherries, double check that you've removed all of the pits by picking up and pinching each cherry. Look and feel for any errant pits. Chomping down on a cherry pit can break your tooth, so take your time. Spread the cherries into a single layer on the baking sheet. Freeze until solid. Take the frozen cherries out of the freezer and immediately put them into a zip-top plastic freezer bag or any other airtight freezer-safe container. I like to use frozen cherries within one year.
Two cherry-based pie filling recipes:
Montmorency Tart Cherry Pie Filling Recipe
I use this pie filling recipe to make a variety of cherry pastries, from hand pies, galettes, or a full-on cherry pie. It's also pretty great just spooned into some yogurt or as part of a parfait. This filling sets up good enough to get a good slice that isn't too firm or too runny. I prefer pre-cooking my filling so that I know the pie will set and that the bottom won't be soggy.
150g to 200 g (3/4 cup to 1 cup) sugar
30 g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) pitted Montmorency cherries (fresh or frozen)
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 Tablespoon kirsch (optional, but great)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the cherries to a medium (3-quart) saucepan, then add the sugar mixture, stirring to combine. Add the lemon juice and kirsch and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes to draw out some of the liquid from the cherries. If using frozen cherries, let this mixture sit for about one hour to thaw slightly. Put the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until it starts to bubble all the way in the center. Then cook for 2 full minutes to thicken. Turn off the heat and transfer the cooked mixture to a bowl. Let the mixture come to room temperature, then cover and chill completely in the refrigerator before using in your favorite pie, galette, or hand pie recipe.
Apricot and Rainier Cherry Pie Filling Recipe
While I don't usually cook sweet cherries, I love this combination of the sweet, light-colored Rainier cherries with the tangy orange apricots. Alone, Rainier cherries don't have a very strong flavor, but their subtle sweetness mellows the apricots. This filling is on the tart-and-tangy side, so may want to add up to 200 g (1 cup) of sugar if you prefer things sweeter. The tiny bit of almond extract really amps up the flavor of this filling.
400 g fresh apricots
400 g Rainier cherries
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 Tablespoon water
150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
30 g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 Tablespoon of butter
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Wash, pit, and slice the apricots into eighths. Wash, pit, and slice the Rainier cherries in half. Combine the apricots, cherries, lemon juice, and water in a medium (3-quart) saucepan and toss together to prevent browning. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt, and add to the fruit. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes to draw out some of the moisture in the fruit. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly but gently—try to keep from mushing up the fruit too much. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble, then cook for a full 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and almond extract, stirring to melt the butter. Cool to room temperature then cover and chill completely in the refrigerator. Use this filling in your favorite pie, galette, or hand pie recipe.
Happy Pitting,
Martin
This was the cherry education I needed in my life
I'm so glad I'm not alone in my obsession with cherries! I grew up on Wiesbaden, Germany and the little town of nearby Frauenstein has acres of cherry tree! Walking through there during "Kirschblütenzeit" was an annual event. And you also mix Rainier Cherries with Apricots! I made jam with that combination last year and my neighbor thought that was weird. Rainiers & Orange jam is another favorite. I wished I could get those cherry varieties here (outside of Seattle) but have never seen them. I used to add amaretto to my cherry pie filling (and jam too). Kirsch I know is used in the cherries added in the Schwarzwälder Kirsch Torte & cheese fondue.