An abundance of sour cherries on the tree this year prompted a time spent in the kitchen producing a sauce from the cherries.
And while most tomatoes are still green on the vine, use some of those green tomatoes to produce fried green tomatoes or green tomato mincemeat.
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Sour Cherry Sauce
ice cream pail of ripe sour cherries
water to cover
6-7 cups of cherry juice
2 tbsps. lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar (or more to taste)
3 tbsps. cornstarch
3 tbsps. water
Place sorted cherries in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil slowly for 5-10 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the cherries to extract as much juice as possible.
Pour juice and pulp through a large strainer. Set juice aside. Press pulp of skins and pits into a cheese cloth bag and twist to remove as much juice as possible.
Measure 6-7 cups of juice into another large pot. Bring to a slow boil. Stir in lemon juice and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Add water to cornstarch and mix to remove lumps. Add to sugar and juice and then stir constantly as juice thickens. Strain mixture to remove any cornstarch clots.
Pour juice into freezer containers or sterilized jars. Juice in jars will keep in refrigerator for about a month. Serve over vanilla ice cream, or angel food cake topped with ice cream.
Another option is to semi-thaw a block of vanilla ice cream and mix in some of the sauce. Stir, then return to freezer to freeze. Serve in bowls or in glasses to which ginger ale is added.
Prepared juice may also be added to a glass of Coke-a-Cola to produce homemade cherry cola.
And why not spread thinly on bread before adding the cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches. Mmmm good!
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Green Tomato Mincemeat
5 lbs. green tomatoes
2 lbs. seedless raisins
2 lbs. currants
3/4 lb. beef suet
2 tbsps. cinnamon
1 tbsp. each of mace, cloves, nutmeg and allspice
5 lbs. apples
1 lb. sultana raisins
1 lb. mixed fruit peel
2 lbs. brown sugar
2 tbsps. salt
1 cup grape juice
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 cup water
Wash tomatoes and remove stems and any spots. Put through a meat chopper then cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain through a strainer and set aside in a large saucepan.
Wash, peel and core apples then put through a meat chopper. Add to tomatoes.
Wash and dry raisins. Add to tomatoes and apples.
Add all other ingredients. Slowly simmer until clear and thick but be careful mixture does not burn.
Spoon into sterilized quart jars and store in a cool place. Alternatively, spoon into freezer dishes and freeze immediately. Makes about seven quarts.
Use in pies or heat and serve over ice cream.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
