The inspiration for this recipe is from Diana Henry's beautiful book - Salt, Sugar, Smoke. It has many ideas to inspire the keen cook, particularly at this time of the year. But these cherries were prepared in a sweet pickling juice back in July and have been waiting for an opportunity to pair up with a suitable cheese or meat.
Last Thursday it arrived. I was invited to +Booths Ilkley for the launch of their new Christmas range. They kindly gave me generous portions of white and blue Garstang and a Lancashire cheese in a goodie bag to take home. Garstang is a town in Lancashire.
As the Garstang white ripened in my warmish kitchen I thought it was time to take the cherries out of their jar and give them a whirl with this rich creamy mould ripened cheese made from Jersey milk.
The partnership worked. The dark red, sweet sour cherries offset the creamy white, earthy notes of the cheese to make a delicious snack.
These pickled cherries spiked with cinnamon and cloves would also go really well with duck or any game.
To pickle cherries
Ingredients
300ml white wine vinegar
450 g white sugar
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
500 g cherries. Keep the stalks intact.
Method
Heat the vinegar, sugar and spices in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. You will need to stir the liquid to help this along.
Prick each cherry with a skewer. This helps to prevent them bursting open. Place the cherries in the spiced and sweetened vinegar and simmer them gently for four minutes.
Remove the cherries from the pan with a slotted spoon. Try to keep the stalks attached. Place the cherries in sterilised jars. Now remove the cinnamon stick and cloves.
Boil the vinegar and spice liquid for a few minutes to make it syrupy. Pour over the cherries in the jar and seal. They will keep for a year. Once opened store in the fridge.