8 Fabulous Cherry Recipes for that all-too-short cherry season! These easy gluten-free recipes use either fresh or frozen cherries.
When cherry season arrives I can't seem to get enough of those juicy little jewels. Popping one in my mouth leads to another and another . . . and soon there aren't enough left to use for a special cherry dessert. While I love feasting on fresh cherries, sometimes it's a treat to make something special with them.
We usually pick our own cherries at a local farm, but last winter I discovered that I can buy bags of organic frozen cherries in most supermarkets. Those ones are already pitted! All of these 8 Fabulous Cherry Recipes use either fresh or frozen cherries, and all are gluten-free!
If you're wondering what to do with frozen dark cherries, check out these recipes! All of these can be made with either fresh or frozen cherries.
8 Fabulous Cherry Recipes for Fresh or Frozen Cherries
Click on the buttons below the photos to take you directly to the recipes.
Try these cherry recipes for appetizers, too.
Add cherries to your breakfast table
And here's one more cherry recipe using fresh or frozen cherries!
FAQ's about fresh or frozen cherries
Cherries are packed with nutrients and they're rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Did you know that eating cherries or drinking cherry juice may actually improve your sleep quality?
1 pound of fresh cherries equals 2 ½ to 3 cups pitted cherries. One pound of frozen cherries equals about 3 cups. You'll need 4 ½ to 5 cups of cherries to make a pie.
Yes! I have frozen them whole. However, it's best to take the time to pit them before freezing. You'll be more likely to use them if you know they can quickly be added to a recipe instead of having to remove the pits first.
If you don't have a cherry pitter, there are several methods that you can use. Try removing the stem, then poking a chopstick or a metal straw, or even a frosting tip through the stem end to pop the pit out. You could also slice the cherry in half and remove the pit with your fingers or a paring knife. However, I've found the easiest way ever!
Use an old fork that you don't care about (or get one at a thrift store). It should be of poor quality, so it bends easily.
Using pliers, bend the out two tines forward, folding them so they lie flat against the base of the fork. Next, slightly bend the tips of the center two tines so they are bent at a 90° angle. To use, plunge the bent tips through the stem end of the cherry and pop out the pit! Easy-peasy.
Which of these fabulous cherry recipes will you make first? Let me know in the comments below!
This post has been recently updated with new information to make it more useful!
Deborah
I discovered that a firm plastic re-usable straw works great to poke through the cherry and get that pit out! When straw full just clean it out with a brush meant for cleaning straws. I invented it myself this evening after using the paring knife/finger method for a few days! THanks for all these yummy-looking recipes. Freezing gallons of cherries from our two trees!
Elaine
Great tip! Thanks for sharing! Lucky you with your own cherry trees!