How to Cook with Luscious Cherries

Luscious cherries are one of our favorite stone fruits, and we look forward to <a href="https://www.saveur.com/content/summer-produce-guide-cherries/">their season</a>. They come in two main varieties, sweet (which includes Bing and Rainier cherries) and sour (the most popular of which are Early Richmond and Morello). We love both in all kinds of desserts as well as cooked into sauces and preserves; sweet cherries are also wonderful added raw to salads or enjoyed in their simplest form—straight from the tree. (Brian Klutch/)
<strong>How To Buy:</strong> Choose bright, plump, shiny fruit; cherries with their stems still attached will keep longer.<br /> <strong>How to Store:</strong> Store cherries unwashed in a perforated plastic bag in the fridge. <br /> <strong>How to Prepare:</strong> Leaving the pits in will intensify the cherry flavor in cooked dishes; however, for most uses you’ll want to pit them. You can use a cherry pitter, a pastry tip, or a clean, bent paper clip to remove the pits. It’s helpful to wear gloves so you don’t stain your hands.<br /> Now get cooking with these recipes!
A baking dish and a few bowls are all you need to transform sour cherries into an easy, irresistible crumble. It's equally delicious for breakfast as it is for dessert. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/sour-cherry-crumble-recipe/">Sour Cherry Crumble</a> (Brian Klutch/)
The signature dessert of the region, gâteau basque is made by sandwiching a layer of jam or sweet pastry cream between two shortbread-like rounds. Cherry preserves are a classic filling—choosing a good-quality jam makes all the difference—and the dough itself resembles a cookie dough, with additional eggs lending a cakier texture. It can also be baked in a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; just be sure to grease the sides with butter before assembling. Get the recipe for <a href="http://www.saveur.com/gateau-basque-french-cherry-recipe">Cherry Gateau Basque</a> (Beth Galton/)
Not only wonderful to sip, this "cocktail" is delicious poured over vanilla ice cream or pound cake. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/article/Wine-and-Drink/Brandied-Cherries/">Brandied Cherries</a> (D.J. Costantino/)
Buttery pastry perfectly offsets sour cherries’ puckery, sweet-tart punch in this summer party-ready pie. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/sour-cherry-pie-recipe/">Sour Cherry Pie</a> (Brian Klutch/)
This sweet-tart cherry, cilantro, and walnut salad is delicious on its own or as a relish for grilled meats or fish. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Cherry-Herb-Salad/">Cherry & Herb Salad</a> (Eilon Paz/)
Roasting cherries caramelizes their sugars and gives them a deeper flavor; they're perfect on ice cream, cheesecake, or yogurt, or even mixed into cocktails. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/roasted-cherries-recipe/">Roasted Cherries</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
Cherries and cherry tomatoes bake down together into a savory-sweet layer under a sweet biscuit topping in this recipe from chef Amanda Cohen. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/cherry-tomato-and-cherry-cobbler-recipe/">Cherry Tomato and Cherry Cobbler</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
Roasted cherries appear in three ways in this twist in an Old Fashioned—in cherry infused-vodka, muddled at the bottom, and thrown on top as a garnish. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/old-fashioned-cherry-cocktail-recipe/">Cherry Old Fashioned</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
The sweetness of cherries balances the saltiness of halloumi in this simple summer salad, perfect for a side or a main dish. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/grilled-halloumi-and-cherry-salad-recipe/">Grilled Halloumi and Cherry Salad</a> (Farideh Sadeghin/)
The classic combination of pork and fruit gets the ultimate summer treatment in this dish from John Karangis of Union Square Events. Made tender in an aromatic braise, pork belly gets a quick char on a hot grill before resting atop buttery sweet corn and a relish of sweet and sour cherries tossed with jalepeños and a honey-lime vinaigrette. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/grilled-pork-belly-corn-sour-cherry-jalapeno-recipe/">Grilled Pork Belly with Buttered Corn and Sour-Sweet Cherry-Jalapeño Relish</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
Mix together a bitter IPA and Luxardo Sangue Morlacco, and top it off with a cherry for a fruity summer sipper. Get the recipe for <a href="http://www.saveur.com/cherry-shandy-cocktail-recipe">Cherry Shandy</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
An eggy, crêpe-like batter dotted with sweet cherries and baked, clafoutis is an easy breakfast that reads fancy and takes only minutes to whip together. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Cherry-Clafoutis/">Cherry Clafoutis</a> (D.J. Costantino/)
Serve this creamy, sweet baked ricotta dish as an appetizer, as part of a cheese course, or for dessert paired with shortbread cookies. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Baked-Ricotta-with-Orange-Blossom-Cherry-Sauce/">Baked Ricotta with Orange Blossom-Cherry Sauce</a> (D.J. Costantino/)
A classic piña colada gets an extra deep flavor with the addition of smoky roasted cherries. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/roasted-cherry-colada-cocktail-recipe/">Roasted Cherry Colada</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
Sweet and tangy, this Hungarian cake pairs perfectly with coffee. Frozen and thawed cherries can be used whenever fresh sour cherries are not in season. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Hungarian-Sour-Cherry-Cake/">Hungarian Sour Cherry Cake</a> (Todd Coleman/)
Savory-sweet ketchup is a great way to use soft, less-than-perfect cherries—it makes a great stand-in for barbecue sauce in just about any application. If their season has already passed, frozen cherries work just as well. Get the recipe for <a href="https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/sweet-cherry-ketchup/">Sweet Cherry Ketchup</a> (Khushbu Shah/)