Cherries are a delicious summer fruit that can be enjoyed fresh or used in recipes. However, you may sometimes end up with cherries that are still unripe and sour. Rather than waiting for them to ripen or throwing them out, there are many creative ways you can use up unripe cherries.
1. Roast Them
One of the simplest ways to make unripe cherries more palatable is to roast them. The heat helps soften the flesh and caramelize the natural sugars. Roasted cherries work well in both sweet and savory dishes. Spread pitted cherries on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. Season them with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or chili powder. Roast cherries can be enjoyed on their own, added to oatmeal or yogurt, used in chutneys, chop up for salads or blended into smoothies.
2. Make Cherry Chutney
Not quite ripe sour cherries are great for making chutneys because they keep their shape well while they cook. Cook chopped cherries with onions, garlic, ginger, vinegar, brown sugar, spices, and dried fruits that smell good. Simmer until the chutney thickens. You can eat grilled meats, cheese platters, and sandwiches with cherry chutney. Cherry chutney can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks in a clean jar.
3. Pickle Them
Pickling is a tasty way to keep cherries from going bad and gives them a strong, sour taste. Make a brine with vinegar, water, salt, sugar and spices. For quick pickles, pour it over pitted cherries and put them in the fridge for at least two days. Clean the jars and put them through a water bath canner to store food for a long time. Enjoy pickled cherries on salads, sandwiches, charcuterie boards and more. The brine is also a nice addition to sauces and dressings.
4. Make Cherry Sauce
Apples with pits, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch cooked together make a sweet and sour cherry sauce. The cornstarch helps thicken the liquid released by the cherries. Add spices like cinnamon, star anise, vanilla, or almond extract to make it taste better. Cherry sauce tastes great on ice cream, pound cake, cheesecake, pancakes, and French toast. It can also be added to yogurt or oatmeal or used as a glaze for meat.
5. Dehydrate Them
Dehydrating is a simple way to concentrate the cherry flavor and create chewy, dried fruit that can be enjoyed like raisins Wash and pit the cherries, then arrange in a single layer on dehydrator trays Dehydrate at 135°F for 18-24 hours until dried. Store dried cherries in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Enjoy them plain for snacking, add to trail mixes, cereals, baked goods, salads or use in chutneys.
6. Juice Them
Extract the juice from unripe cherries to make syrups, drinks, marinades and more. Wash and pit the cherries, then run them through a juicer or blender. Strain to remove the solids. Sweeten the tangy cherry juice with sugar or honey and use in cocktails, lemonades, dressings, glazes or reduce down to a syrup. Cherry juice can also be used to make jelly.
7. Make Cherry Jelly
Tart, unripe cherries are perfect for making jelly as they contain lots of natural pectin. Simmer pitted cherries with a bit of water, then strain to extract the juice. Measure the juice and mix with an equal amount of sugar. Boil, then pour into sterilized jars and process in a water bath canner. Enjoy cherry jelly on toast, biscuits, used as a glaze or paired with cheese and charcuterie.
8. Infuse Vinegar or Oil
Steep unripe cherries in vinegar or oil to impart delicious flavor. Add pitted cherries to white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar and allow to infuse for 1-2 weeks. Strain and bottle the vinegar for an amazing addition to salad dressings and marinades. Similarly, cover cherries with olive or vegetable oil and let infuse before straining. Use the oil for cooking, dressings and drizzling.
9. Make Cherry Pie Filling
Cherry pie is a classic summer dessert, but you need ripe, sweet cherries to enjoy it fresh. With unripe cherries, you can make canned pie filling to enjoy later. Cook pitted cherries with sugar, ClearJel or cornstarch, cinnamon and almond extract. Once thickened, pour into jars and process in a water bath canner. The filling will keep for up to a year in the pantry.
10. Bake Cherry Clafoutis
Clafoutis is a simple rustic dessert that highlights the flavor of fruit. Pit unripe cherries and arrange in a buttered baking dish. Whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla then pour over the cherries. Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes until puffed and golden. Dust with powdered sugar before serving warm. The egg custard nicely balances out the tartness of the cherries.
11. Make Cherry BBQ Sauce
Cherries may seem like an unlikely ingredient for BBQ sauce, but their sweet-tart flavor is an amazing complement to rich, smoky meats. Cook down pitted cherries into a pulp, then mix with ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic, onion and mustard. Simmer until thickened. Brush on pork, chicken or beef before grilling.
12. Blend into Smoothies
Even when unripe, cherries add great flavor, nutrition and color to smoothies. Pit and roughly chop the cherries before adding to your blender. Combine with yogurt, milk or nut milk plus other fruits like bananas, strawberries or peaches. A bit of honey or maple syrup can help balance the tartness. Sip for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
13. Make Cherry Sorbet
Unripe cherries pureed with sugar make a refreshing sorbet. Cherry pits should be cooked briefly with sugar and lemon juice to get the juices out. Place in a blender or food processor and blend or process until smooth. Strain if desired. Allow the mixture to cool down, and then follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using an ice cream maker. Serve scoops of cherry sorbet garnished with mint.
14. Add to Stuffing and Muffins
Diced unripe cherries can be folded into stuffing mixes and muffin batters. Their color and tart pop of flavor enhances savory bread stuffing mixes. For muffins, roughly chop the cherries and fold into batter along with streusel topping. Bake up cherry muffins for breakfast or snacks. You can also add diced cherries to quick breads and coffee cakes.
15. Make Cherry Cordial Chocolates
Unripe cherries can be transformed into homemade cherry cordial candies. Simmer pitted cherries with sugar and kirsch or cherry liqueur to make a cherry syrup. Dip chocolate chips in the syrup, then chill until set. Place a cherry half on top of the chocolate and re-dip to create a candy coating. Drizzle with white chocolate and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
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FAQ
Can you use unripe cherries?
The unripe fruit is particularly dangerous, as it contains higher concentrations of toxic compounds that can lead to serious health issues. The leaves of the Green Cherry are also known to be toxic, especially when ingested.
Is there a way to ripen cherries?
If they are not completely green and hard as a rock, you can ripen them. Put them in a paper bag and keep them in a cold place for a few days.
What can I do with cherries that aren’t sweet?
If you like confectionary you could soak them in a citric acid syrup to get rid of their cloying sweetness, then soak them in some booze and finally dip them in some dark chocolate.
What to do with unripe fruit?
Our favorite way to cook these fruits is by poaching. This simply means covering your fruit with liquid and simmering until the fruit is soft. Stone fruits and those with a core of seeds are the best for poaching. Pears, peaches, apples, and even plums do well.