Fruit
Cherry
CerezaCireraPrunus avium
The cherry is the fruit you eat standing at the stall, «just one more». The season is short and cherries don't ripen after picking, so what you buy is what you get.
When
Around: May–Jul · At its best: Jun
Around: May–Jul · At its best: Jun
Around: Nov–Jan · At its best: Dec
Around here
The Baix Llobregat has a cherry-growing tradition: Sant Climent de Llobregat and Torrelles de Llobregat hold their cherry fairs in late spring. Further away, the Jerte Valley (Extremadura) has the Cereza del Jerte PDO, which includes picotas, the ones picked without their stalks. The first May cherries tend to be the priciest and least tasty.
At the market
- Green, pliable stalks: brown and dry means they were picked days ago.
- Glossy, firm and plump; dull, soft ones are on the way out.
- The darker the red (in red varieties), the sweeter they usually are.
- Avoid split ones: rain makes them crack and they spoil quickly.
At home
- In the fridge, unwashed and with stalks on: they keep for about five days.
- Wash only the ones you're about to eat, and take them out a little beforehand.
- Remove any bruised or split ones as soon as you get home.
If you have too much
- Stone them (a cherry pitter or a thick straw helps) and freeze them spread out on a tray.
- Jam or preserve; a little lemon helps it set, as cherries are low in pectin.
- In brandy or in syrup, in jars, for winter.
- Clafoutis: whole cherries baked in a pancake-like batter.
In the kitchen
- Fresh, by the handful, after lunch.
- In a salad with goat's cheese, rocket and almonds.
- Cherry and red wine sauce for duck or pork.
- Cherry gazpacho, swapping some of the tomato for cherries.
- Hung over your ears as earrings, if there are children about.
What it brings
Per 100 g, raw.
- Energy
- 63 kcal
- Water
- 82% water
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Sugars
- 12.8 g
- Fibre
- 2.1 g
- Protein
- 1.1 g
Stands out for
It isn't a «source» of anything by the EU rules: you eat it because it's good, which is plenty.
Data from the USDA (FoodData Central). See the full table ↗ · How we decide what stands out
Goes with
- ApricotMay–JulA good apricot splits with your fingers and lets go of its stone on its own. The season is short, late May to July, and a cold-stored one is nothing like one from the tree.
- StrawberryMar–JunStrawberries don't ripen after picking: if the shoulders are white, white they'll stay. Follow your nose: the ones you can smell from across the stall are the ones to buy.
- PeachJun–OctPeach, nectarine and flat peach are the same species: a nectarine is a peach without fuzz, and the flat peach a squashed one. The one you can peel with your hands, dripping down to your elbow, is the one that was perfect.