In Season: Australian Cherries
Jo Hughes
Tue, Dec 22, 2015
We’re in the midst of cherry season, with over 80 different varieties being harvested across all Australian States from mid-October until late February.
Though not native, cherries have been grown in Australia since the late 1800’s, with our diverse climate affording us an amazing array of distinctive tastes and colourings.
Most cherry varieties boast superfood standing by packing a punch in the Vitamins C, E and antioxidant flavonoid stakes - hardly surprising given their tell-tale deep colourings and subtle-yet-rich flavourings.
Often touted as one of the nation’s favourite summertime stone-fruits, Australians consume an impressive 7,000+ tonnes of fresh product every year.
Storing Cherries
Fresh is most definitely best when it comes to consuming cherries - which goes for both enjoying them straight up or including them in your cooking.
Pack loosely and refrigerate cherries in a sealed plastic bag, washing them just before use to avoid bruising that might otherwise shorten their already short (2-3 day) shelf-life.
How To Pit Cherries
Fresh cherries can also be de-stoned and frozen for use in smoothies, sauces or cooked dishes. If the idea of dealing with all those pips puts you off, here’s a very quick and easy hack for pitting cherries -
Cooking With Cherries
That short window of opportunity for consuming freshly-picked cherries does occasionally mean we, sigh, have to turn to recipes with cherries to prolong our period of indulgence. Buuuuuuut let’s face it…there are worse dillemas to face than which lip-smackingly stupendous dish to make with our leftover plump little bundles of blush.
For inspirational recipes and ideas on what to make with cherries, look no further than Australia’s foodilicious food blogosphere…