quick as a cat can wink its eye
This pie cherry tree looked like a goner when we first moved here. R can’t stand to see anything die, so he did a lot of pruning and staking and babying. Last year we had our first cherry pie. This year it has gifted us with a regular crop.
To fill a one quart freezer bag it takes four cups of fruit, one heaping cup of sugar (the cherries are very tart) and two tablespoons of minute tapioca mixed together before stirring in. To some, I added a few drops of almond extract. Others got the zest of a lemon. Many cooks swear by gadgets like cherry pitters and apple corers, but I find that my fingers are the handiest gadgets around.
Here they are, all zipped up and ready to be popped into the freezer. There is limited space in there, and I can’t imagine having more than four cherry pies in a year. The birds and the raccoons are happy that we left some for them. We came upon two raccoons feasting on cherries. They were so absorbed that they barely noticed us…either that or the word has gotten out that this is a no-kill zone, no matter how annoying the critters become. More about that next time, but now I would like to direct you to Wendy’s blog for more ways to enjoy the season’ bounty.
Hiya Ricki,
You must have some very well-behaved birds over your way:
I have yet to see any fruit on our huge cherry tree. All I find is pips and stalks on the ground.
Doesn’t that red look wonderful against the green foliage.
And, come winter, the pies will remind you of that.
Yum…lucky you. I have a small cherry tree, my mother planted it from seed, she can’t remember when, she’s not even sure what it is. It did produce a few cherry like fruit early on …they dropped. Maybe next year.
I love reading about people putting their fruits and vegetables to good use!
Jo~It takes a season when there are more fruits than we or the birds can handle alone.
Linda~Seems like your garden hosts plenty of bees. Maybe what your tree needs is a little judicious pruning?
Loree~Then Wendy’s site could be for you.
My neighbors used to have a cherry tree and apparently the ‘coons really enjoyed them because there’d be little poop piles laden with cherry pits in my garden. Kinda gross but kinda comical too. Your cherry harvest looks wonderful.
Grace~The overripe, fallen cherries seem to have turned us into wildlife central. A young deer was at it yesterday evening.
I love seeing your bounty, Ricki Billy Boy. Cherries are one of my favorite fruits, although I confess to loving them best raw. Sounds like yours are what seem to be called “sour cherries”: not as good raw, but the very best for pies. And this way you get to enjoy them twice: once when you harvest and prepare them, and again when you cook and eat them in delicious pie!
Jane~The only down side is that silly “Billy Boy”song running through my head as I weed.
Looks like R believes in the no-kill zone applying to plants as well as critters. Nice to see the plant allowed to live and come back to life and full of so much fruit! I can just imagine how great those pies taste…
James~Oh yes…plants most of all.
Wendy~So glad we did not give up on it.