Sour cherries suffer fewer pests and diseases than sweet cherries, although they are prone to heavy fruit losses from birds. In summer, fruit should be protected with netting. When harvesting fruit, they should be cut from the tree rather than risking damage by pulling the stalks.

The Romans are credited with populating England with cherries grown from stones spat by legions of soldiers. The cherry’s cultivation, sweet and sour, was encouraged by Henry VIII, and as many as 100 varieties were known to English orchards by the mid-17th century, with a concentration of growers in Kent. This county remains the heart of British cherry growing today, with a seasonal industry built around its imports throughout the British Isles, a scenic “cherry trail”, and plentiful roadside stands (some of which cunningly advertise “ local strawberries and fresh cherries” before the local cherries begin). Someone in that cherry heartland must cultivate the Morello, but if they do, I’ve never found them. Wash and dry the cherries and stone* them (or not, as you please). Macerate in the 3 T sugar and the kirsch and Grand Marnier, if using, for about 2 hours.

The sour cherry has a number of other uses. The seed contains an edible oil which is used in cosmetics, the stem produces a gum which can act as an adhesive, while a green dye can be obtained from the leaves and a dark grey to green dye from the fruit. Unofficial figure | [ ] = Official data | A = May include official, semi-official or estimated data Put cherries in medium saucepan with the water and sugar. Dissolve sugar slowly over medium-low heat until there are no sugar crystals remaining, painting down any crystals from the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Butter a 20-23 cm (8-9 inch)round ovenproof dish, bottom and sides, and coat with the additional sugar, pouring out excess. And who can forget cherry popping candy? An absolute staple of the 80s, if you’ve never had the pleasure of trying Fizz Whizz or Tango Popping Candy – what are you waiting for? It’s like the hottest disco in town right there in your mouth, what more could you want from your sweets? Of course, these don’t just come in cherry, but it’s usually the firm favourite.

Serve warm, with cream if you like and any juices** you may have set aside for an accompanying syrup.

Value to wildlife

In England, their cultivation was popularized in the 16th century in the time of Henry VIII. They became a popular crop amongst Kentish growers, and by 1640 over two dozen named cultivars were recorded. Sour cherry trees are cultivated for their edible fruit though they are rather sour when eaten raw. There are several cultivars grown commercially, including the dark morello cherry and the lighter red amarelle and montmorency cherry. You will need a shallow rectangular baking pan measuring 26x30cm (a10x12-inch “jelly roll” or “sponge roll” pan is ideal). Butter it and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper, too, and flour it, using gluten-free flour if you want the cake to be wholly gluten-free.

Pour cherries and their juices** into the prepared pan and then pour batter on top. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the centre is set, the edges are brown, and the top is light brown all over. Rotate the clafouti once in the oven if needed for even browning. Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-02 . Retrieved 2016-11-01. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( link) Finally, we can’t forget the wheely delightful Cherry Wheels! Not a fan of traditional liquorice? Well here’s a compromise: make it cherry flavoured! Even better, if you want more – just unwind! A true delight for any age, the Cherry Wheel is a fantastic addition to any sweet collection.

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Few things in life are more delicious than a wide array of cherry sweets! It is always amazing how whenever there is a bag of sweets around, the cherry options are the first ones to go. Just the mere sight of a Cherry Tangfastic or Cherry Lips can tantalise your tastebuds, but why do we love cheery sweets so much? Whip the cream with the tablespoon of icing sugar and the vanilla until it holds a shape but is still creamy. Spread it onto the cooled roulade, going almost, but not quite, to the edges. Roll the cake from the longer side, using the parchment to help you roll as you go.

BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26 . Retrieved 2014-10-17. Turn up the heat once the sugar is dissolved and bring to a vigorous boil, stirring to prevent scorching, until the cherries are softened but not mushy, and the juices are red, about 5-8 minutes. Taste, making sure you taste a cherry as well as the juice, and add a little more sugar, or lemon juice, to taste. The newest, biggest, kind of hip thing to do with sour cherries,” said Nikki, “is to turn them into dried cherries. If you were to dry a sweet cherry, it just wouldn’t have the acidity and that distinctive cherry flavor—it would tend to just get sweet and bland.” Serve warm, with a little pouring cream if you like. The kirsch and Grand Marnier are optional, but add a delicious touch. Here’s a question: when it comes to Haribo cherries…do you take them straight…or sour? Surely there’s one thing everyone can agree on, either way, they’re delicious! And few people make cherry sweets, sour or sweet, better than Haribo! The famous sweet company that started making gummy bears now delights us with all kinds of offerings but few are as satisfying as their cherry sweets. Whether you are looking for a Haribo sour cherry or the sweeter Haribo happy cherries - we have them both!Because they’re so sour, they tend to be cooked or preserved and the syrup is used in drinks and liqueurs. Sour cherries have a high melatonin content and it has been suggested that the fruit is useful in alleviating sleep problems.