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Cherry Time

17/11/2011

6 Comments

 
Somewhere in a family album there's a photo of me as a small child in a cool Summer dress, cherry stains all over the front of me, and my mouth and cheeks bulging with my favourite Summer treat.

Yay! It's cherry season now and Aussie cherries are available from early November through to late February. Australia produces an average of 12,000 tonnes of cherries annually, worth around $120 million, and producers are aiming for an average of 15,000 tonnes by 2015. The industry is spread over six states, with around 2,845 hectares under production and 485 grower enterprises currently operating.

In New South Wales, Young is a key production area (Cherry Festival coming up!), as well as Orange and Bathurst. Other significant areas include the Dandenong Ranges and Goulburn Valley near Melbourne, the Adelaide Hills and the Riverland area of South Australia, the Huon Valley and Derwent Valley in Tasmania, and the elevated southwest region of Western Australia. Visit your local cherry farm and buy direct, or pick your own fruit. It's a great day out.

Cherries are a power-packed food loaded with anthocyanins, the antioxidants responsible for their deep red colour; and other flavanoid antioxidants such as quercetin and kaempferol. They also provide a good source of Vitamin C, as well as potassium and fibre. And they're a guilt-free indulgence, with only 250 kilojoules per 100 grams!

Cherries are picked fresh from the tree and do not continue to ripen once picked, so make sure you choose plump glossy cherries with smooth, unblemished skin. And look for bright green stems that are in good condition.

Keep your cherries cool and dry to preserve the freshness, quality and shelf life. Store them in the fridge in an air tight container. There's lots of ways to use cherries, other than eating them fresh from the hand. Bake them, preserve them, or cool off with this refreshing Cherry Sangria.

CHERRY SANGRIA
750mls red or white wine (a spicy shiraz or sauvignon blanc)
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1 litre lemonade
300g pitted cherries, halved

Combine the wine and sugar in a large jug. Thinly slice the orange, lemon and lime and add to the wine mixture. Stir in the cherries and chill for at least an hour (or up to three days). When you are ready to serve the Sangria, add the lemonade and serve over lots of ice. Alternatively, serve the wine and the lemonade in separate carafes and allow people to mix the Sangria themselves, to their taste. Serves 6.
Picture
Refreshing cherry Sangria. Image courtesy Aussie Cherries.
6 Comments
kellie@foodtoglow link
19/11/2011 11:07:24 am

I'm so jealous! Cherries are my favourite fruit. They're always so expensive here in the UK but I buy them anyway - healthy indulgence (she says hiding the till receipt). Lovely looking sunny sangria too. Might have to bookmark for next year!

Reply
ChopinandMysaucepan link
19/11/2011 11:10:15 am

Thanks for the interesting facts. I find the bigger the cherries, the sweeter they are, not sure if this is accurate. My favourite ones are those from Tassie which have a really dark colour. They seem to be the sweetest but also usually the most expensive though :(

Reply
Lizzy (Good Things)
19/11/2011 11:20:30 am

Hi Kellie! Some things in life, such as raspberries and cherries, are expensive but definitely worth it!

Reply
Lizzy (Good Things)
19/11/2011 11:22:26 am

Hi ChopinandMySaucepan, I agree with you, I've certainly found that to be the case. I have it in my diary to visit a cherry farm and go picking this year. Haven't done it for years! Such fun.

Reply
ButterBron link
7/12/2011 08:37:59 am

We have great cherry groves here at Myrtleford in the North East Victoria also on the menus at our wonderful cafes and resturants

Reply
Lizzy (Good Things)
7/12/2011 04:58:53 pm

Hello there!

Oh, how lovely! I would love to have a cherry grove nearby. Your web site http://www.thebutterfactory.com.au/ is very interesting indeed! Thank you for popping in. ( :

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