Cherries

[Jack]

I like cherries.

This article has been stolen from elsewhere, you should not follow my example though – cherries should not be pinched!

When the popular sweet cherries ripen, they overflow market stands.

How to select: Specimens with the deepest, darkest hue are the best. Ripe cherries should be firm, yet not hard, and shouldn't yield to pressure. Discard any cherries if they're bruised or don't have their green stems intact.

How to store: Store unwashed cherries in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to five days. Extend their season by freezing them up to a year: Wash and thoroughly dry the pitted or unpitted cherries; store in zip-top bags.

How to use: Sweet cherries are at their best when eaten straight out of the bag on your way home from the market. If you must cook them, warm them up with broth and butter for a simple cherry sauce to go with duck, chicken and pork. Both sweet and sour cherries also make delicious desserts, from a classic clafouti to an all-American pie.

If you want an all-American cherry pie recipe let me know.

[Leicester Fan]

I've got a cherry tree in my garden, I should be harvesting them in a couple of weeks (if the birds don't pinched them first).

They're usually scoffed before we have a chance to make pie out of them though.