Cherry season is here and the season is short for farm-fresh, just-picked sweet cherries at the Downtown Los Altos Farmers’ Market. There will be many varieties to choose from as the season progresses, from Bing to Rainier, Brooks, Lamberts, Tulare, and more. Each has its own distinctive color and flavor, and many of the varieties can only be found at local farmers’ markets.
California is home to more than 600 cherry growers, farming 26,000-plus acres from the fertile Santa Clara and San Joaquin valleys, which provide nutrient-rich soil, sunny days and mild nights. The state grows mostly sweet cherries as opposed to tart varieties, and small farmers provide that wide variety to your farmers’ market. They arrive from farms in Brentwood, Lodi, Stockton, Linden, Gilroy, Hollister and other Northern California valleys.
Cherries are very susceptible to damage from rain as they near harvest. For this reason, the volume of each year’s crop can vary depending on spring weather in California growing areas.
Fresh cherries have an extremely short shelf life and must be handled carefully to reduce bruising, so use your cherries as soon as you can. Once you bring your prized cherries home, try some of these delicious ways to use them:
• Fresh. Eat cherries fresh. For sweet cherries, this is the most popular way, unadulterated and complete in and of itself.
• Jams. Make cherry jam or preserves so you can enjoy the flavors later.
• Dehydrated. Dry cherries in a dehydrator or in the oven. Remove the pits, cut in halves and dry until most of the moisture is removed. Eat as a snack or use in baked goods.
• Pie or crisp. Make a sweet cherry pie or crisp/cobbler. Because the cherries are sweet to begin with, you won’t need as much sugar.
• Quick bread. Take your favorite basic quick bread recipe and add a cup of pitted, chopped cherries to the mix.
• Ice cream. Make cherry ice cream in your ice cream maker.
• Popsicles. Run frozen pitted cherries through the blender with lime juice and pour into popsicle molds.
• Salads. Add chopped cherries to a chicken or turkey salad for a refreshing pop of flavor and sweetness.
• Sauces and marinades. Combine a pound of pitted, chopped cherries, a bit of lemon juice, cornstarch and sugar and you’ve got an amazing sauce for desserts or pork, or for dressings and marinades.
• Salsa. Yes, cherry salsa is an unexpected and delicious way to use cherries. Pit and chop cherries, add chopped jalapeño pepper, chopped green onion, lemon juice, fresh cilantro and minced garlic, and you’re ready to dip.
Cherries are a veritable feast for the eyes – and stomachs. We wish the season were longer, but that’s the way nature rolls. At the Downtown Los Altos Farmers’ Market, you’ll find them from Gotelli Farms out of Stockton, Allard Farms from Westley, J&J Ramos Farms from Hughson and Castellanos Farms from Kingsburg.
Debra Morris works for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association, which operates the Downtown Los Altos Farmers’ Market. The seasonal market is scheduled 4-8 p.m. Thursdays on State Street, with a new, expanded footprint extending into part of a parking plaza.
