Pickled Cherries & Burrata...Oh my!


I made pickled cherries years back on this blog, but never knew what to do with them......well, here is the solution, and a good one at that.

And once again, if you will allow me to swoon over Washington State cherries.
Thank you.

I always go on about NJ produce, since we are the "Garden State"....known for our delicious tomatoes, corn and peaches, but there is something about Washington cherries.

They are in season now, and taste like what cherries are supposed to taste like. CHERRIES.
Sorry New Jersey.

They were on sale at Whole Foods for 3.99 a lb, so I bought 6 lbs, pitted them....baked a cherry ricotta cake; ate some out of the bag; pickled 2 batches and froze the rest.

I found this recipe in Susan Spungen's new cookbook, Open Kitchen, and I knew I would be using my stash to make this.

I didn't have sumac, as the original recipe calls for, so did my own pickling mixture and was quite pleased with how it turned out.

I know it sounds weird to pickle cherries, but trust me, these are SO GOOD! You can put them over ice cream, or just eat them out of the jar.
I even made a cherry cocktail with vodka with the leftover pickled cherry juice! It was delicious!


Pickled Cherries with Burrata (loosely adapted from Susan Spungen's book OPEN KITCHEN:

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar (original recipe calls for only 2)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves (NOT garlic cloves!)

8 ounces (about 20) sweet cherries, pitted and cut in half
ball of burrata or fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, preferably opal

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small saucepan and boil until the sugar dissolves.


Add in the cherries to the pan and boil for 2 minutes only. Immediately transfer the cherries and pickling juices into a glass jar with tight fitting lid.


Let everything cool before putting the lid on and refrigerating.


Plate a ball of fresh mozzarella or burrata in the center and drizzle some of the pickled cherries around the cheese.
Sprinkle with sea salt and garnish with fresh basil leaves. This is quite a treat.

The jar of pickled cherries will last about a week in the fridge, if they last that long!

Comments

Katie C. said…
I love cherries but the season is over here in Virginia because I’m not paying over $5 per pound! I can things so this year I tried a new Ball canning recipe: Amaretto Cherries. I’m waiting until the cold weather to try them but the leftovers were fantastic. I do have about a pound squirreled away in the freezer for later. What are you planning to do with yours? I used an Oxo single cherry litter which made a mess of everything around. What did you use?
Katie C. said…
Pitter! Not litter!
Stacey Snacks said…
Katie,
I love the frozen cherries in the winter to bake cakes......I have a freezer full......I love them!
Unknown said…

Your posts are so enjoyable to read. Even if I am not going to make a particular recipe right now, I know it will be delicious when that day comes. Your recipes are always reliable and tasty. And your charming personality shines in your posts.
Today, I am so happy to live in Washington State, so I can buy cherries and try this recipe.
When the cherries are ripe but unpicked on the trees, farmers protect them from splitting if it rains, by hiring helicopters to blow the water off them with the rotor wash. That is how precious they are. Wouldn't those farmers love to know how much you appreciate their efforts?
Stacey Snacks said…
Unknown Washington reader:

Thank you for that nice comment. It makes it worthwhile when people appreciate what you do.

I truly love Washington cherries! I hesitate to tell my fellow New Jerseyans, because they will rush out and buy them all up!

I am snacking on them right now! So special.

xo Stacey
Stacey Snacks said…
Katie C.
I did not answer your question...I use a steel pitter from Italy, it has a locking mechanism (like a Felco pruner).

It's good, not great, but it gets the job done!

Here is the pitter I use.....https://vermontkitchensupply.com/cherry-pitter/
Katie C. said…
Thanks for letting me know about your pitter. Since I tend to process a lot of cherries, I’m looking for one that pits multiples in one shot without a ton of splatter. I saw someone recommend one a couple years ago but I can’t remember where nor what it was. In the mean time, I just saw that the local grocer here has cherries on sale again. Yay! Have you ever made a cherry clafoutis? I wonder how much cherries I would need, hmmm ...
Ciao Chow Linda said…
I may have missed cherry season (and probably the $3.99 a pound price) but I would love to try this recipe. I'll be on the lookout. Your photos have really become so artistic!
Linda said…
I love cherries but the season is over here in Virginia because I’m not paying over $5 per pound! I can things so this year I tried a new Ball canning recipe: Amaretto Cherries. I’m waiting until the cold weather to try them but the leftovers were fantastic. I do have about a pound squirreled away in the freezer for later. What are you planning to do with yours? I used an Oxo single cherry litter which made a mess of everything around. What did you use?
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Monnika Jacob said…
I only like cherries in fruits and I tried my best to grow cherries in my house somehow, but my every try gone in vain. Buy Essay Online UK
Monnika Jacob said…
I only like cherries in fruits and I tried my best to grow cherries in my house somehow, but my every try gone in vain. Buy Essay Online UK
David Smith said…
What size jar, or does it matter. I’m going to use this as part of a cheese board for my wine club