🍒 Recipes for Sour Cherries: Sweet, Savoury & Seasonal Delights

🇬🇧 Introduction: What to Do with Sour Cherries?

Sour cherries—also called tart cherries or morello cherries—have a bold, tangy flavour perfect for both sweet and savoury dishes. If you’ve got a glut from the garden, the market, or the freezer, these recipes will help you turn them into pies, sauces, drinks and more. Their sharpness makes them brilliant for baking, preserving and pairing with meats.

🛒 What Are Sour Cherries?

Morello cherries are the most common variety in the UK.
Dark red in colour and juicy, they’re too sour to eat raw but excellent when cooked or sweetened.
Commonly harvested in late June to early August in the UK.

🧁 Sweet Recipes Using Sour Cherries

1. Sour Cherry Pie

Buttery pastry filled with sour cherries, sugar, and cornflour.
Add almond essence or cinnamon for a warming twist.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.

2. Sour Cherry Crumble

Combine cherries with sugar and a little lemon zest.
Top with a crumble made from oats, flour, butter and brown sugar.
Bake until bubbling and golden.

3. Sour Cherry Clafoutis

A French-style baked custard with cherries and a pancake-like batter.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.

4. Sour Cherry Jam or Compote

Boil cherries with sugar and lemon juice until thick.
Ideal for toast, scones, or spooned over yoghurt or porridge.

5. Sour Cherry Ice Cream or Sorbet

Blend stewed cherries into a cream or coconut milk base.
Freeze in a churn or container for a refreshing summer treat.

🍗 Savoury Recipes with Sour Cherries

6. Sour Cherry Sauce for Meat

Cook cherries with red wine, stock, and shallots.
Simmer into a glossy sauce—perfect with duck, pork, or venison.

7. Wild Rice Salad with Sour Cherries

Toss cooked rice with sour cherries, herbs, almonds, and citrus vinaigrette.
A vibrant dish for lunches or barbecues.

8. Lamb Koftas with Cherry Relish

Pair spiced lamb with a sharp cherry-onion relish.
Add yoghurt and flatbreads for a balanced plate.

🍸 Drinks & Preserves

9. Sour Cherry Syrup

Simmer cherries with sugar and strain to make a thick syrup.
Use in cocktails, lemonade, or drizzle over desserts.

10. Cherry Liqueur (Homemade Morello Kirsch)

Steep sour cherries in vodka with sugar for a few months.
Use the liqueur in baking or festive cocktails.

11. Sour Cherry Shrub (Drinking Vinegar)

A tangy base made with vinegar, fruit, and sugar.
Refreshing with soda or used in mocktails.

🧠 Pro Tips for Cooking with Sour Cherries

Always pit cherries before cooking—use a cherry pitter or poke with a metal straw.
Balance tartness with sugar, honey, or sweet ingredients like apples or bananas.
Freeze extras: Sour cherries freeze beautifully—wash, pit, and freeze flat on a tray.

💬 FAQs

1. Can I use sour cherries in place of sweet cherries?
Yes, but you’ll need to increase the sugar to balance the tartness.

2. Can I eat them raw?
Technically yes, but they’re very sharp. Most people prefer them cooked or sweetened.

3. How do I freeze sour cherries?
Pit them first, lay flat on a tray, freeze, then store in a container or bag.

4. Are sour cherries good for you?
They’re packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds—great for joints and sleep support.

5. How long do they last in the fridge?
Fresh sour cherries last 3–5 days. Keep dry and refrigerated.

📋 Quick Recipe Card: Sour Cherry Compote

Ingredients

500g sour cherries (pitted)
150g sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Optional: vanilla or cinnamon

Steps

Combine all in a saucepan.
Simmer 15–20 minutes until thickened.
Cool and store in fridge (up to 2 weeks).

Use on pancakes, toast, yoghurt, porridge, or ice cream.

🌟 Conclusion

Sour cherries may be sharp on their own, but with the right recipe, they become deep, sweet, and irresistible. Whether you’re baking a classic pie, cooking a rich meat sauce, or stirring up a summer mocktail, sour cherries can do it all. They’re a brilliant way to celebrate British fruit season—one tangy bite at a time.