Key Ingredient
One of the jewels of early summer has arrived: Sweet and plump cherries are filling supermarket bins. In Hawaii, the Bing variety of cherry is most common. You may see a golden, blush-colored Rainier pop up, but save those for special occasions; they'll probably cost you a pretty penny. KEY INGREDIENT: CHERRIES
The bad news is that cherries are only available through July. The window for enjoying this fruity treasure is small.
The basics: There are two groups of cherries -- sweet and sour. Sweet cherries are in season now and the varieties include the dark-skinned Bing, Van and Lambert. Light-skinned varieties includes Rainier and Royal Ann (the type used for maraschino cherries). Sour cherries are generally softer and smaller than sweet cherries and are too tart to eat raw. They are generally canned or frozen and make excellent pie fillings and preserves.
Selecting: The ideal is to hand select cherries from a bin. But most often they will come pre-packaged. Look for firm, glossy and plump fruit with stems -- cherries without stems decay more quickly. Check for bruising, soft spots or cherries that are sticky -- all indicators of age and poor handling. For Bing cherries, the darker the color, the sweeter the fruit.
Storing: Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to a week.
Use: Rinse before consuming. To pit cherries, cut in half with a paring knife and dig out the pit, or use a cherry pitter (it resembles a whole punch) to do the job. Most people will probably dive into a bowl of cherries as is, but think about enjoying them in salads, as a sauce for poultry and pork or in scrumptious desserts. Try poaching cherries in a combination of water and wine, adding some sugar and a cinnamon stick. Serve with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream for a refreshing summer dessert.
Where to buy: Most supermarkets should now have an abundant supply at prices ranging from $1.99 to $5.99 a pound. Costco cherries, at $11.99 for 4 pounds, are especially good.
Food Stuffs: Morsels
Contact Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga
online at features@starbulletin.com
Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses
indicates calculations by
Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts,
a nutritional consulting firm.
