Photography by Leanne Capuzziello
In my opinion cherries are at their very best July to August and if like me you are lucky enough to have a tree near you, then get picking ASAP!
If however you are not so lucky then there are other ways to get you hands on these delicious little treats. They are of course widely available in the supermarkets but you will have to pay a premium, so if you have the time why not check out your local PYO (pick your own) or farmers market where the prices will be far more reasonable and can also make a nice day out.
I have recently discovered that if you are real cherry nut like me there are farms that will actually rent you a cherry tree for a year, yes this is a real thing! When the tree is ripe you can go along and pick it clean. However to my dismay I have also discovered that this is not a new craze and if you want to rent a tree you have to be quick as availability is limited.
It could make a interesting Christmas or Birthday present for someone…. just a thought.
There are many different recipes for cherries, cherry pies, cherry jams and chutneys or if you can’t decide simply freeze them for another day.
This however is what I prefer to do with my hoard.
To Start:
- Wash the cherries and trim the storks, leaving approx 1 cm on the cherry.
Ingredients to make your Cherry Brandy:
- 1kg Cherries
- 300g Sugar
- 1 litre of brandy
You will need a jar with a tight fitting lid, large enough to hold the cherries and brandy. Then simply pop in the cherries and sugar in the jar and then the brandy, tighten the lid securly and give the jar a little shake. Place in a dark and cool place and leave for approx 3 months, the longer you leave it the more delicious it becomes. I usually check on it for the first couple of weeks and give it a little shake dissolving any of the remaining sugar.
The cherries suck up the brandy and sugar and becoming a wonderful accompaniment to this little tipple.
If you are not a lover of brandy then not to worry as this recipe works just as well with vodka.
Photography by Leanne Capuzziello
