A sweet treat

They seem to be popping up everywhere. The number of cherry stands along Highway 12 could give the name "Cherry Row" to the well-traveled road. This sweet red fruit, most notable as the snacking choice of many during spring, is plentiful in the area at this time of year and can be used in many different ways.

According to Jim Culbertson, executive manager of the California Cherry Advisory Board, San Joaquin County produces roughly 45,000 tons of cherries annually, which makes up about 66 percent of cherries produced in California. He said this area produces about five different varieties, with Bing being the dominant.

Cliff Kerr, who has a one-acre garden in Woodbridge, has six cherry trees. His favorite are the Rainier, which are yellow and red and are very mild; and the Bings, which are firmer and crunchier.

Both of these as well as a third kind are grown at Hedrick Farms, said Joann Hedrick. She said they will usually sell 10 field lugs, which are each 35 pounds, per day and usually sell them for a month. Hedrick said she makes her own preserves and juice.

"(The juice), I understand, is very good for you," she said.

Carol Thomas, nutrition instructor at Delta College, agrees cherries have some health benefits. She said they are a good source of vitamin A and C. They contain phytochemicals, which is the coloring in fruits and vegetables that help the body fight off diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

"They are also an excellent source of fiber (but) too much can cause some gastrointestinal upset," she said.

Enjoy cherries all year

After the fresh cherry season has passed, they can still be enjoyed all year long. Here are a variety of options:

Create a trail mix using dried cherries, nuts and seeds.

Top tossed salads, fruit salads and chicken salads with dried cherries or drizzle with homemade vinaigrette made with cherry juice.

Add dried cherries to pancakes or breakfast bread batter.

Keep a bag of frozen cherries in the freezer and thaw them for a few minutes. Then, combine with vanilla yogurt and granola to create a parfait.

Blend frozen cherries with cherry juice concentrate and yogurt for a smoothie.

Source: www.choosecherries.com

Phillips Farms also sells the Bings and Rainier, which are sold to them from local growers, said Manager Lori Vandenburg. Some of them are then used to make their pies and cherry jam.

Kerr feels the best time to plant cherry trees would be in January or February. To aid in growing the trees he said a pollinator, tartarian, is needed. The trees then need to be watched over carefully daily for watering. When the leaves look stressed that's when they need water.

"You have to baby them," he said.

The winter months are the toughest, he said, because there is an insect that bores into the limbs. Spraying them isn't an option due to the fruit on the trees. Instead, the limb needs to be cut off or the insects will kill the tree.

Kerr and his wife, Ann, used to can cherries before they were married and could can 109 quarts in one day.

"We didn't know how to divide 109 quarts in two, so we just got married so we could share them that way," he said with a laugh.

Now, he feels when eating cherries, plain is the only way to go.

Generally, time to harvest is the first week of June, said Hedrick, although due to the early hot days last month, she said, they began picking on Memorial Day. Picking is usually complete by the end of June.

Each cherry, she said, needs to be picked separately and it is important to make sure the stem stays on.

"It is quite a process," she said. "We do it all ourselves."

Pork roast with spicy cherry glaze

One 2 1/2-pound boneless pork top loin roast (single loin)

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 10-ounce jar hot jalapeno jelly (red)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened, pitted dark sweet cherries, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 head of leaf lettuce, washed and patted completely dry

5 ounces soft goat cheese (chevre); room temperature

4 teaspoons chopped pecans

Extra cherries for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Trim fat from meat and sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper. Place roast in a large skillet with the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and sear on all sides. Remove roast from skillet and place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast pork for 1 to 11/4 hours or until it reaches 155 degrees in the center.

Meanwhile, for cherry sauce, combine jalapeno jelly, the chopped cherries and 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer uncovered, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened and reduced to 1 cup. Remove from heat. Baste the meat with the glaze three times during the last 20 minutes of roasting. Remove from oven and loosely cover with foil; let rest for 15 minutes before carving. The meat's temperature will rise 5-10 degrees during resting period.

To serve, cover the serving platter with the lettuce, stems removed. Slice roast and transfer to serving platter. Drizzle some of the remaining sauce down the center of the slices and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest. Place a few fresh cherries around and on the roast for garnish. Stir together the goat cheese and pecans. Serve the cheese alongside the roast. Pass the remaining sauce. Makes 6-8 servings.

Source: Barbara Spitzer

Cherry and Apricot Cobbler

Filling

2 pounds fresh Bing cherries, pitted, or two 1-pound bags frozen sweet cherries, thawed, drained

2 pounds apricots, halved, pitted

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3/4 cup chilled buttermilk

3/4 cup chilled whipping cream

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

For filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients in large bowl to blend. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Bake until filling is hot and begins to bubble at edges, about 35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375¡F.

Meanwhile, prepare topping: Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar and next 3 ingredients in another large bowl to blend. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly add buttermilk and cream, tossing with fork until dough comes together.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls over hot filling to cover. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Continue to bake cobbler until topping is golden and tester inserted into center of topping comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Serve cobbler warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 12 servings.

Source: Adapted by Barbara Spitzer from Bon Appetit Magazine, July 2000 issue

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