This is a paid partnership with Northwest Cherries
Photography by - Nicole Walters
I've always been a bit of a fruit bat and Joshua is fast taking after me so with the cherry season at its height, I've been taking full advantage of the deliciousness on offer. I remember picking cherries from a neighbour's (with permission) tree when I was younger so I've always had a soft spot for the fruit and with succulent Rainer Cherries in season now I couldn't help but add them to my food shop.
Rainer Cherries are really quite special and they have a number of health benefits as they're full of antioxidants, contain phytosterols which help lower cholesterol and they're a natural sauce of melatonin. They also contain lots of Vitamin C and fibre as well as anthocyanins which are important for good brain function and they help your brain produce the mood-enhancing hormone serotonin.
They're like a super fruit!
I've bought a few punnets since finding them in stock at my local supermarket and I wanted to share five ways I've been making the most of Rainer cherries so you can too.
Enjoy them as they are
The great thing about Rainer cherries is that you can just enjoy them as they are. They're a sweet cherry so you just need to give them a wash and enjoy. Just remember not to eat the pip and have a go-a-tying the stork with your tongue for a bit of fun. I can't do it myself but I did try.
Bake with them
From cherry cake to cherry crumble, the possibilities are endless when it comes to baking with cherries. My favourite bake to create with cherries is flapjacks and the recipe is pretty simple:
Ingredients
115g butter
115g Demerara sugar
3tbsp golden syrup
225g rolled oats
60g rainer cherries
Greased 18x20cm shallow baking tin.
Preheat oven, 180 degrees
Method:
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together on moderate heat for around 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the oats and cherries, make sure it is all stirred in thoroughly.
Press the flapjack mixture evenly into a greased baking tray and then put in the oven for 20 minutes.
Take the flapjacks out of the oven and cut straight away
Leave to cool and then take out of the tin.
Make them the centre piece for a Fruit Platter
Most mornings, I cut up various pieces of fruit and arrange them on a plate or in a bowl to pick at throughout the day, I've found when I really need to up my fruit intake this works wonders and the Rainer cherries have been a fab addition. Fruit platters at parties or gathers are always a good idea and these would make the perfect centrepiece! I did it recently and everyone asked about it, it's a great way to introduce them to someone else who may not have heard of them.
Add them to drinks to cool down in the Summer
The sunshine seems to be sticking around on the south coast so making sure we're hydrated has been a top priority but sometimes you want a little more than just ice-cold water. I blended some of the cherries with strawberries last week to create a smoothie and for cocktails one evening in the garden I used the Rainer cherries to garnish. They make a great prop for Instagram too!
Liven up your BBQ
Cherries are brilliant because you can use them for so many different recipes including salsa! Rather than just sticking with BBQ sauce why not make a cherry chipotle salsa! The sweet taste from the Rainer cherries works amazingly with spice and the only problem you'll have is making sure there's enough left for yourself after everyone else has tried it!
There's so much you can do with Rainer Cherries so why not pick up a punnet while they're available in selected retailers! Be quick as they're at their best right now!
You can find out more about Rainer Cherries via www.northwestcherries.net
