Do Cherries Make You Happy? What Do You Do with the Pits?
Yesterday, a box of Batch's Best Family Farms Bing cherries arrived at Serious Eats world headquarters via Chefshop. Because these cherries are picked and air-shipped the same day, they cost a lot more than the cherries we get at our local supermarkets. But much like the Gold Bud peaches I have written about, these cherries are worth every penny.
They are firm, juicy, and sweet, with just enough acidity to let you know you are eating a perfect cherry. These cherries make me very happy, and I think they will make you very happy, too.
What's interesting about these cherries is how consistent they are. Just about every cherry in the box looks and tastes the same. When I buy cherries at my local supermarket, one will be perfect—dark red, firm, and delicious—and the next will be overripe—mushy, matte, and too sweet, with no acidity or crunch whatever. Cherry season is just about over, and Chefshop is no longer shipping Bings, but they are shipping Sweetheart cherries in the next week or so.
If you can't swing spending more than $50 on three pounds of cherries, hit your local market. Russ Parsons, author of How to Pick a Peach
How to Choose: In the cherry box at the store there will be a wide range of ripeness. Take the time to choose carefully, sorting through a small handful at a time. Choose fruit that is dark red, almost to the point of being black, and shiny, not matte. There should be no shriveling or wilting. Common faults such as doubling and spurring do not affect the flavor.
How to Store: Stored tightly wrapped in a plastic bag in the coldest part of your refrigerator, cherries will last a surprisingly long time—up to three weeks. Do not wash until just before using.
Cherries should be put in the fridge before serving, but these Batch's Best cherries are so good that I eat many of them straight from the box.
Parsons doesn't tell us what to do with the pits. What does a polite person do with the pits?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
9 Comments:
"What does a polite person do with the pits?" Why are you asking us then? ;-)
I normally spit them into an old Kroger bag. Spitting them out the window of a moving car can be fun, but based on personal experience, you should make sure the window is actually open first, and that the person in the seat behind you doesn't have their window open, too ... unless you don't like them ...
Now, I've seen polite people gently and quietly use napkins covering their mouths to discharge the pits. White linen isn't good for this, nor is a thin paper napkin, unless there's a gallon of Dawn nearby to help get rid of the stains on the fingertips that make your fingers look like the pricing guy's fingers at the department store.
I'm all for a "pit bowl" or plate, like the spare bowls and plates used to collect the shells from crustaceans as they're being devoured. Just suck all the juices off the pits before spitting them into your hand and dropping them into the bowl.
LunaPierCook at 9:01AM on 07/19/07
cherries are fantastic and even though they are sooo sweet and delicious, they are low on the glycemic index which makes them even more of a wonder food!!! what to do w/ the pits?? well, a pit bowl, a heavy duty napkin, and a garbage pail nearby... and dont wear a white shirt when eating cherries b/c no matter how careful u r............
lbg716 at 9:35AM on 07/19/07
There are delicious locally grown cherries available at NYC greenmarkets.
Just sayin'...
Cathy at 12:24PM on 07/19/07
Every cherry season I stop at our local fruit stand (daily), our Green Market (weekly) or our newly re-opened Westside Market (whenever) to buy 1-2 pounds of cherries. I spit the pits into my closed fist and drop them into a separate bag, unless I don't have one, in which case I just clear a spot in the cherry bag for them.
And--"last in the refrigerator up to three weeks"?? I'm lucky if my cherries last more than 3 hours. Shiny, firm, black-red cherries--at Westside I can pick my own individually for an all-star collection--there's nothing like 'em. As far as I'm concerned, when cherry season is over, summer's got nothing left to redeem itself.
klg19 at 2:33PM on 07/19/07
Cherry pits lend a slight almond essence to anything that they are baked in - I think I read that in Tartine Bakery's cookbook. If you toast the pits, you can toast them to get rid of any toxicity and them use them for a light almond flavor in pastry cream or custard. Mmmm, cherries!
Littlebluesiren at 2:56PM on 07/19/07
Mine arrived yesterday as well! They're WONDERFUL. I ate so many, my teeth are still a little garnet-tinged.
deb at 3:29PM on 07/19/07
I've been getting cherries every week from my CSA, however I can't keep up with eating them, can anyone recommend what to make with them?
Thanks!
msflux at 6:42PM on 07/19/07
I like to store the pits temporarily until I can dispose of them in a suitable receptacle. The ideal storage bin? My intestines! Yep, I just swallow all the pits. I don't mind the slippery little guys going down, and have never had the least problem with that, even eating huge amounts of cherries. Although if you eat a pound or two, things can get a bit, er..., lumpy on the other side.
hgates at 9:14AM on 07/20/07
MsFlux - There's a great recipe for brandied cherries in Wed's NYT. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18appe.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin
They'll hold for at least a month in the fridge, and are wonderful on any dessert (and I imagine pork as well, but don't eat pig).
hreisig at 9:59AM on 07/20/07