What’s translucent, tart, and transient? Wait, don’t answer that, you sick, sick reader. It’s sour cherries, today in the Seattle Times.
I wrote this piece at my own peril: there are so few sour cherries on the Seattle market each year that this article could actually drive up the price. “Oh, I’m sure we can get all the sour cherries we need this summer for under $100,” I said to Laurie. She didn’t find this comforting.
I knew this article was coming, so I’ve been looking for sour cherries at the farmer’s market every week, with no luck. I’m going to look harder this week (not really possible, but it’ll make me feel better), because I really need one of those milkshakes, or maybe two of those milkshakes.
I think there’s still a sour cherry tree in the side yard in Portland. There used to be two; I know one’s gone. I don’t know what kind of cherries they are, but they’re definitely sour, and I used to make pie from them, so you should check them if you’re there someday during the summer.
Wendy, my understanding is that fresh sour cherries are something most of the country simply doesn’t have access to. I hope you turn some up.
I didn’t know there was a cherry tree in the yard. There are basically two kinds of sour cherry. One looks like the ones in the photo and has clear juice, and the other is purplish and has dark juice. I’ve never seen the latter kind outside of a jar, but I’d like to.
I’m pretty sure ctate said he gets sour cherries in the Bay Area. ctate?
I was raised near Fresno, CA and my grandmother had a sour cherry tree in her back yard. I grew up loving sour cherry pies and cobblers in the summer so the dearth of them in the NW has always been a sore point with me. I’m definitely going to keep my eyes out for them in the next few weeks. The milk shake sounds good. How about sour cherry liqueur?
Making sour cherry liqueur or buying a commercial one? I’m ignorant on both counts.
This page has a recipe for Cherry Cognac, if you scroll down to the article about cherries; and there’s a History of the Sacramento Cherry in there that was interesting to ME, at least. The CSA is still giving us tons of sweet cherries; actually, this week we got two pounds of tiny apricots, a pound of tiny peaches, a pound plus of cherries, AND a pint of strawberries.
I see that Biba is serving sour cherry tart. Maybe I’ll call her up and ask who her supplier is.
http://www.ediblesacramento.com/pages/articles/spring2006/spring2006.htm
How do you like Edible Sacramento? I just met the Edible Toronto and Edible Phoenix people.
(They were very tasty.)
I was thinking that a sour cherry liqueur might be tasty, but I’ve never made one. Maybe liqueur isn’t the right name, but I was thinking of sort of a cherry version of limoncello. I’ve only seen commercial ones made with sweet black cherries.
Well, FINALLY something we have back east that you all don’t have in lovely Seattle. Sour Cherry season isn’t for a few more weeks, but when it hits, I’ll be out there picking to my heart’s content. We get sour cherries, and you all probably have all of the Ranier Cherries you want (which I adore and gladly fork over $7- $9 a pound for.)
I know in their fresh state, sour cherries do not travel well. But here is one bit of consolation, in the winter, I use Trader Joe’s Morello Cherries in a jar, and they’re really pretty decent.
When I lived in Portland, there used to be some u-pick farms not far outside the city where I could get sour cherries. The closest u-pick place I could find near Seattle is this place in Sedro Woolley in Skagit County: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/Farms/farm_profile.asp?farmID=76
I discovered the local pie cherries last summer, too… and had to keep myself from eating all that I bought fresh, because I wanted to try baking with them. At a friend’s suggestion, I baked them into a moist, almond-flavored cake, which was a perfect foil for them. Laurie commented on my post about the cake, and mentioned your tart. I’ll try that this year.
The only place I’ve ever seen fresh Morellos was in Budapest. I could’ve lived on the cold cherry soup that seemed to be on the menu of every restaurant in town the summer I visited.
Kimberly, we’d love to try the cake this year. Oddly enough, I just made a friend in Budapest. I’ll ask her about this cold cherry soup.