# Recipe for cherries, with the pits?



## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

Cherry season it my extra busy season and I barely have time to get them picked.
Last couple years I just froze them whole with the pits, figuring I'd find a way to use them...
Still haven't. And tomorrow I need to pick 2013's crop!

Any ideas on what I could use them all for? I searched and couldn't find any recipes where they were strained from the pits, etc etc. thanks!


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Personally, when I did freeze cherries with the pits well --everyone inc myself notice a bitter off taste when defrosted. Now, nibbled while frozen were fine by all. But maybe it is us.

Quickly-- why not-- spurge and make the grape jucie where you add the cherries and half cup of sugar to a quart jar--pressure can and make juice--strain when using and if you have chicken or pigs leave them the soilds?

--what about pitting and drying?
If you could get say stainless steel mesh with say half inch pattern cook them and then strain them thur the mess and the pits might go thur and leave the flesh--then do a basic jam or syrup Or shurbet you know it is hot most area and it --You know what I mean there is the frozen treat that is mainly mashup sweented a bit --little if any dairy but getting the Ice crystel is tricky an Ice cream machine does well

Think of what you and yours like and incorparate it. --Cherries can go in breckfast, salads, think of replacing pineapple with cherrys for ham and even chickens --so store them in a fashion you family will use them. 
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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

Oooo, black cherry - hot pepper conserve! Well worth the time it takes to run the pitter. Typical cherry jam recipe with hot peppers (I usually use serranos)to taste. It's amazing on ham sandwiches, with baked salmon, used as BBQ on pork. It works better if you can prepare it when the cherries are fresh, because it comes out thinner after they've been frozen, but if you don't have time now, do try it later.
Kit


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

Ok thanks! I like the idea of cooking then getting them through a mesh! Will go see what I can find.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

fyi I can pit eighty pounds a day and still have time for a reg work load. Set it up and watch a few movies cause it is boring.


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## deb_rn (Apr 16, 2010)

Find a good old cast iron cherry pitter on Ebay. We got 18 ice cream buckets of North Star cherries off our 1 tree this year! Yowza... no way to hand pit that many cherries. It pits them so darn fast... great job for kids too!


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

The only recipe I can think of that calls for whole, unpitted cherries is Cherry Wishniak, which is a strong cherry cordial.
The recipe I have is from 'Homemade Liqueurs' by Dona and Mel Meilach.

You put 1/2 a pound of cherries in a quart jar, add 1/2 pound of sugar, and then pour two cups of vodka or brandy over it. You're supposed to be careful not to shake it at any point. Cover it tightly, put it on an out of the way shelf and forget an out it for three months. Then you strain it and put it into a bottle. The meat of the cherries dissolves away during the three months, just leaving the pits.

I have not tried this recipe, but have liked other recipes from their book.


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## ufo_chris (Apr 30, 2010)

I know this is older but just seen it...
In Germany there is a cake made with whole cherries !,its called
Kirschenplotzer and its delish!
Sorry,no recipe But maybe Google it?
U just eat it very careful and spit out pits on your plate....awwww,good times!

Sent from my HTC One V using Homesteading Today mobile app


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## semimoonman (Oct 31, 2012)

Yes. The best cherry recipe needs pits: Cherry Bounce.

1 pound cherries with pits
1 cup sugar (personally, I prefer a little less)
1 bottle of bourbon (the standard 750mL size)

Mix everything together in a 1/2 gallon jar. Let it sit in a dark cool place for 6 months.

It really does need the full six months. If you taste it after two months, it will be pretty awful: sweet, sweet, sweet and fake-cherry flavored, like liquid children's medicine, and you'll think "I wasted a bottle of bourbon on this--even a crappy bottle of bourbon?" After the full six months, the flavor from the pits has come out (a woody, subtly almond flavor), the extra sugar has fermented away, and you have a smooth, deep, dark cherry flavor augmenting the bourbon. It's delicious and puts a nice "bounce" into midwinter.

Alternatively, if you don't want to put up several gallons of alcohol, I think that you could do some more traditional processing without pitting. 

I love the pit flavor, and always cook some of the pits with any cherry preserve. I pit first, blanche, and then put the pits in butter muslin (thicker cheese cloth) in the pan with the jam as I cook it. Perhaps there's something you could do with whole cherries and a jelly bag (like jelly or juice).


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