Cherries a Super Fruit

Cherries, both the sweet (Prunus avium) and sour (Prunus cerasus) varieties, are available fresh, frozen, dried and juiced. They are one of the "Super Fruits" due to their excellent nutrition value and high levels of antioxidents.

Commercially sweet cherries are generally used for eating fresh, frozen or juiced, and sour cherries canned, bottled, dried, juiced and made into jam. Cherries are also used in the liquor industry to be distilled into kirsch, ratafia and maraschino.

Sour cherries are higher in nutrients than sweet cherries but as they are rarely eaten raw they often lose some of that nutrition in processing. The tart flavor of the sour cherries is due to their higher levels of malic acid than sweet cherries.

Cherries contain excellent levels of vitamin C and A (beta carotene), a good level of folate and dietary fiber and small amounts of vitamin B1, B2, B3, and B6. They also contain calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Cherries are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Sweet cherries are only 84 calories and sour cherries 52 calories per cupful so are an ideal snack.

Health wise cherries contain over 17 antioxidants and are therefore disease fighting and also build up the immune system. They contain the flavonoid quercetin which can help to prevent heart disease and they contain anthocyanins which block inflammatory enzymes, reducing pain. Twenty cherries are said to be ten times as potent as aspirin and have positive effects on gout and arthritis pain.

So regularly add cherries to your grocery list and get their antioxidants fighting off all those free radicals in our polluted air.

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Raw Black Forest Cherry Brownies
From Raw Sacramento
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4 cups soaked and dehydrated walnuts (Soak 2 ½ cups for 36 hours, rinsing every 12 hours. Dehydrating is optional.)
¾ cup packed pitted dates
¾ cup raw carob powder
2 tsp cherry extract
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or almonds (soaked and dehydrated for best results)
½ cup dried cherries or raisins

Puree 4 cups walnuts in a food processor until it becomes a fine meal. Add dates and continue to puree until well mixed. Add carob and cherry extract and puree again. Mix in the chopped nuts and cherries by hand. Press into a 9" square brownie pan. Refrigerate and slice. Serve with fresh sliced strawberries or raspberries or use frozen berries. Will last for weeks in your refrigerator or freezer.


Confetti Couscous Salad with Dried Cherries
From Cheryl Forberg's Recipes at ChooseCherries

For couscous:
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 1/2 cups fat free low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
For dressing:
1 tbsp cherry juice concentrate
1 1/2 tsps lemon juice
1 1/2 tsps Vegan Dijon mustard
2 tvsps canola oil
For salad:
1/2 cup chopped dried tart cherries
3 tbsps coarsely chopped pistachios
2 tbsps chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare couscous: In a quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add couscous, stir, cover and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.
Prepare dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together cherry juice concentrate, lemon juice and mustard. Whisk in oil until emulsified. Set aside.
Assemble: Add dressing and remaining ingredients to couscous and mix well. Serve immediately. 8 servings


Cherry Salsa
By Cynthia Bowan at Chef2Chef

1 1/3 cups frozen unsweetened tart cherries
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tnsp chopped fresh or canned jalapeno peppers, or to taste
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or 1/2 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp cornstarch

Coarsely chop frozen tart cherries. Let cherries thaw and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon cherry juice. When cherries are thawed, combine drained cherries, dried cherries, onion, jalapenos, garlic and cilantro in a medium saucepan; mix well. Combine reserved cherry juice and cornstarch in a small bowl; mix until smooth. Stir into cherry mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until mixture is thickened. Let cool. Makes about 1 cup.


Cherry Vanilla Hemp Shake
From Kristen's Raw Food Newsletter
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1/2 cup water
1/4 cup organic shelled hemp seeds
1- 10oz / 283g bag frozen organic cherries (or 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted)
1 tsp raw agave nectar (or 1 pitted date)
1/2 vanilla bean, chopped
pinch Himalayan crystal salt

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. Enjoy! Yield 2 cups


Black Cherry-Yam Casserole
From NorthWestCherries

1- 40oz / 1Kg can cut yams, drained
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsps cornstarch
3/4 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup apricot nectar
1- 16oz / 450g can pitted dark sweet cherries, drained
1 tbsp margarine

Heat oven to 375F/190C. Grease an 11" x 7" (28cm x 18cm) baking pan. Arrange yams in pan. In a saucepan, stir brown sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, salt, cinnamon, and ginger; stir in apricot nectar until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until simmering; simmer 2 minutes then remove from heat. Add pitted dark sweet cherries and margarine. Pour cherry mixture over yams. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes at 375F/190C. Yield:6 servings.

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