Cherry-Cornmeal Scones

July 10, 2015

Post by Anna

Ten and a half months out of the year, supermarket cherries are sad, rubbery imports that are just one step away from a canned fruit cocktail. But when you’re sitting pretty on the goldmine of stone fruit that is Washington, late June is the time to cash in.

It never occurred to me to do anything with the first summer cherries than eat them by the bowlful, like the idiom says.

Then I ordered 20 lbs. from a family friend who grows them on her orchard in Zillah, Washington; a town in the heart of the Yakima Valley with a gas station shaped like a teapot (go there). For the last few years I have looked forward to her exclamation-ridden e-mail in late spring, taking orders for Bings, Rainiers, and Vans by the boxful. ‘The Cherry Baroness’, as she is called, runs her operation a bit like the fruit mafia, making deliveries at inconspicuous locations around Seattle on just a moment’s notice, whenever the crop is ready.

You don’t run the cherries, the cherries run you.

My 20 lb. box arrived just as the fruit flies were going strong, and it was a race against the clock to get them washed, stemmed, and pitted. Using every spare bit of surface area in my small apartment, I laid hundreds of the deep red gems flat out on baking trays, and rotated them in and out of the freezer. This method, called individual quick freezing or ‘IQF’, keeps foods from turning into a misshapen blob while frozen. Once cold and hard, I scooped them into bags to store away for pies, clafouti, and smoothies throughout the year.

With a freezer barely closing, there were still cherries leftover, which was the perfect excuse to bring out the dehydrator. Once pitted, drying the fruits takes almost no work, and could be done just as easily in an oven at very low heat (125 degrees) for 12-18 hours, rotating periodically. The slow pull of moisture creates an intensely sweet and tart flavor, and pairs perfectly with scones made of coarse cornmeal and plenty of butter.

Keep in mind—processing cherries is a project. Invest in a cherry pitter. Your house will look like a murder has taken place. But eating cherries at their peak all year, frozen or dried, is totally worth it.

Dried Cherries:

Prep: 20 minutes / Cook: 12-18 hours

WHAT YOU NEED:

5 lbs. dark sweet cherries, like Bing, Chelan, or Black Republican
A cherry pitter

WHAT YOU DO:

Preheat oven to 165 degrees (if using a dehydrator, set the temperature to 135 degrees and dry for 12-16 hours, rotating trays).
Wash, stem, and pit cherries
Place cherries on a baking sheet (not touching) for three hours
Reduce heat to 125 degrees
Bake for 12-18 hours, rotating sheets every few hours
Cherries are done when they feel taut and sticky inside. No flesh should ooze out when you squeeze it, but it should still feel slightly soft.
At 12 hours, start to check for doneness. Be sure to remove smaller cherries earlier, as not all fruits will dry at exactly the same time.
Store in an airtight jar for up to 3 months