Today at the market we saw a sign that said Cherry season ending soon, and we thought Yeah, better make hay and bought a couple of pounds to eat iced, our favorite way.

A bowl of cold ripe cherries on ice are a one-ingredient, sublime dessert that also couldn’t be more elegant and satisfying for its understated simplicity and in-the-moment deliciousness. But there are others equally as lovely…

Warm Fresh Cherries are unpitted, stem on cherries thrown into a pan with sugar and lemon juice and cooked until the juices run.

Sally Schneider
Sally Schneider

Any cooked cherry dessert can be made with pits left in. You have only to issue a warning to your guests to navigate them as they eat. OR if you’re feeling industrious, pit the cherries. You can use any number of clever cherry pitters or use the covered “tap” method that needs no special equipment. Instructions here.  (Save the pits for vinegar, below)

 

Sometimes we pit a pile of cherries and toss them with a little of sugar until the juices run. Then we mix them with heavy cream which infiltrates the cherry, making for a flavor akin to cherry ice cream. To make a fast, cherry ice cream, mash the macerated cherries into softened vanilla bean ice cream.

Check out Kristen Rasmussen’s  Cherry and Wild Fennel Clafoutis that we found at Lucky Peach’s Online Recipe Archive

Kristin Rasmussen
Kristin Rasmussen

…The dazzling Plum and Cherry Tart Ellen Silverman cooked up using our basic open-face tart formula. (You can make it all cherries if you like).

Ellen Silverman
Ellen Silverman

…A Cherry Crumble gives a sense of “tart” without having to actually make one…

Suzanne Shaker
Suzanne Shaker

We make long-aged Cherry Vinegar  (with the pits) every summer to use all winter…

Sally Schneider's cherry vinegar
Dana Velden/The Kitchn

Cherries also make lovely still-lives, like this favorite by Maria Robledo

Maria Robledo
Maria Robledo

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