The early morning was spent preparing a big batch of Hood River organic cherries for the dehydrator.  We ate oodles fresh, and what is left will go in a batch of sweet cherry brandy (makes the best fruitcake for Christmas).
If you don’t have a cherry pitter, check out this tip, and these, for how to remove cherry pits.  I like the way the cherries dry better when they’re sliced fully in half, but I do pit them when making brandy, pies, feeding them to the children.
Later this afternoon, we’re going picking for sour cherries (more on that tomorrow). I’m excited to get some locally – I’ve actually never cooked with them before, and hear they make excellent pie and jam.
I really like preparing stone fruit for jam, drying, etc. It’s such a rhythmic, meditative process.  Gives me time to think, pray, while slicing the fruit, removing the pits to a separate pile. It reminds me a bit of traditions that use prayer beads.  It’s a very peaceful thing, really.
You are going to LOVE sour cherries. They make the best jam and I personally love them in turnovers. Ours have come and gone.
A friend of ours brought us some wonderful cherries this week. I have been enjoying them. My toddler wanted to try one, so I sliced a small bite. She said “Yummy, mama, more!” Not having a pitter and not wanting to google how to take out the pits I simply cut the cherries in small bites around the pits. After about 5 minutes of slicing, I handed a nice bowl of cherries to the toddler. She took one bite, said “Yucky, Mama” and before I could grab her dumped them in the trash. Ahhh…the joys of being a mom. I would have eaten them!
Definitely make sour cherry jam. I just made some today and it’s so, so wonderful! A true cherry flavor.