Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Cherry Season - Recipes & Reviews

Cherries season 🍒 is back at 99 cents per pound right about now! They are my fave fruit and I like them plain or .... well, just read on to see what I do with a cheap$kate bag of Cherries.


Just last week I got delicious Cherries for 99c per pound at my 99c only Store. My Superior Grocers, my local Latin market, sells them for 99 cents per pound, but they do sell out so it may take a couple of tries to get them cheaply.

My love affair with Cherries really heated up when I began to visit relatives in Central California and remember getting fresh Cherries from an orchard tree. While Washington produces the most Cherries, California is in a tight race with Oregon for second place. 


You can read the health benefits of fresh Cherries here. I find they are less perishable than strawberries when refrigerated.

The only hindrance to consuming a Cherry is the easily discarded stem and stubbornly buried center seed. Cherries are large enough to slice around the seed, twist and separate, then pry out the seed. It's easy enough to slice around the seed, too.


If you have a metal straw, push it through the opposite end of the stem, and out pops the seed. (You can use a plastic straw as shown in my GIF below, but it will start to buckle after a few cherries.)


The easiest and quickest Cherry Recipe is to just add a few slices to your favorite plain (or mildly flavored) yummy yogurt. 



It's an early morning light breakfast or on a warm afternoon a cool snack for relaxing on the patio. My video below shows how I do it:

Cherries & Yogurt Recipe


I like pancakes in the morning, especially on weekends. I use a generic pancake mix from my 99c only Store and Dollar Tree, and I always add a little fresh fruit, especially cherries. 


You can mix the sliced cherries in the pancake batter or sprinkle on a hot pan first then pour on the batter.
Cherry Pancake Recipe


Cherries are featured in desserts the most. I once found small 4-ounce cartons of Cherry Garcia ice cream by Ben & Jerry's at my local Dollar Tree.


My Mom has a Cherry Pie to die for. She used to bake 'em up when we were kids, and she makes a mean one even now.


There's nothing better than the smell of a baking fruit pie in the oven and watching the crust brown through the oven window.


And my brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef, crawled out of the bayou to get Mom to show us how she does it!


This is a 2 crust pie and she uses cherries from the can, that's the old-school way. Of course, I know where to find canned Cherries the cheapest, from the Dollar Tree, of course!


So pull up an extra chair and invite the whole family to watch Mom and the Swamp Chef show you a homemade Cherry Pie Recipe video...oh, boy!



I have a Gay Wedding Cupcake recipe that is part documentary. When Los Angeles allowed same-sex couples to marry for the first time, I was there to celebrate and offer the happy couples a tasty cupcake with a cherry on top. Click here to see my blog post and video of the historic day.


I crave Cherry flavor for sweet Craisins from my local Dollar Tree. I haven't seen it this year...yet.


Craisins are dried cranberries, and they're very similar to grape raisins. And real Cherry juice is used, plus cane sugar for a bit too much sweetness. I can eat them by the handful or just add them to breakfast cereal or hot oatmeal.


And finally, I'm still a fan of sickly-sweet Chocolate Covered Cherries. There is something so pleasing, almost magical, combining a Maraschino Cherry and creme in a shell of chocolate.


And I can still find 5-count boxes for the right price at my local  99c only Store and Dollar Tree.


So if you are wondering how they rate on my Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best? Just check out my video review right here.



Enjoy Cherry Season the 99 Cent Chef way!

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