My dried cherries need to be made merry

March 15, 2024 7:12 PM

I've got my hands on a smashing amount of dried cherries, now in the freezer. But- I need recipes which are not leafy salads or desserts.

I love all cherries, and will put them on leafy salads on my own time, and in some desserts or oatmeal or something. I'll definitely make a rice pudding with them of some kind but I am running out of ideas.
I see a lot of suggestions for meat dishes online, like with duck, or in a sauce or glaze. But I wonder if there are vegan equivalents, like if you know a very good tofu/TVP recipe.
Any recipe given regardless of dessert-ness or vegan-ity will be appreciated!

posted by panhopticon to Food & Drink (25 answers total)

i just put them directly in my mouth
posted by Jacqueline at 7:20 PM on March 15 [12 favorites]

I don’t have a recipe but I bet they would be delicious used liberally as part of a stuffed pumpkin or smaller acorn or delicata squash dish. Mixed with chestnuts or walnuts, maybe wild rice or barley, kale or chopped Brussels sprouts, stock made with browned onions and carrots. You could riff on a sausage stuffing and use a sausage substitute, they are pretty great these days (I like the Impossible sausage quite a lot when crumbled.)
posted by Mizu at 7:24 PM on March 15 [3 favorites]

These oatmeal cookies with cherries, pecans, and chocolate chunks have long been a favorite. They're very, very good.
posted by mochapickle at 7:51 PM on March 15 [5 favorites]

i just put them directly in my mouth

They'd be good in trail mix too!
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 8:05 PM on March 15 [3 favorites]

Dried cherries work very well with brie or soft unripe goat cheese, and both of those go very well on toast or newly baked bread.

Dried cherries can also be added to biscuits, or quick breads.
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:17 PM on March 15 [2 favorites]

One option if you drink and have time is to buy a bottle of Everclear and make a cherry kirsch, if you have the cherry stones, or a cherry liqueur, if you just have the cherries. This makes a lovely aperitif or post-prandial tup.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:12 PM on March 15 [2 favorites]

this is my go-to stuffing recipe during holiday season.
posted by emmling at 12:01 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

I've made cherry ginger ranger cookies before which were one of my favorite cookies I've ever made. I use this recipe as my base and I think put in 1 cup each of diced dried cherries and diced crystalized ginger, instead of the coconut and raisins.
posted by Teadog at 12:44 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

Rehydrate them in bourbon and then put them on vanilla ice cream.
posted by mhoye at 2:53 AM on March 16 [7 favorites]

What kind of cherries? Albaloo Polo is my favorite cherry-based thing. It's usually made with morello cherries, but I'm sure you could adapt it.
posted by Admiral Viceroy at 3:49 AM on March 16 [2 favorites]

I put them in the water when I start to heat it to make oatmeal. By the time the oatmeal (five minute type) is done, the cherries are soft and delicious.

Or, I just put them in my mouth!
posted by Dolley at 5:24 AM on March 16

I've made this pilaf with dried cherries before, and it was a great success. I think any sort of pilaf that incorporates dried fruit is a great use for these. Throw a vegan protein on top and you're set.

I also love dried cherries added to this vegan maple walnut granola. Any granola you love would be improved with cherries added, though!
posted by little mouth at 6:21 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

Dip them individually in chocolate repeatedly until they build up a thick layer. I am enjoying a box of chocolate-covered dried cherries from Trader Joe's that are fabulous as a little treat,
posted by briank at 6:56 AM on March 16

The search string “savory cherry tofu,” returned some hits for dishes with cherry salsa and cherry bbq sauce.

I saw these options which look pretty interesting:

moroccan tofu

tofu dried fruit Matang

I might also try soaking them, combining with caramelized onions, and adding to a fancy grilled cheese sandwich with crusty bread. Maybe start caramelizing the onions while the cherries are soaking, rinse the cherries (maybe squeeze?) and stir in to the onions to blend the flavors as the onions finish cooking. I dunno. It’s kind of random.

One time I soaked some in booze and then put them in brownies. It’s been a few years but IIRC it went over well.

You could also rehydrate them and use them for pie.
posted by bunderful at 7:13 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

Make a cherry and almond granola and eat it all the damned time.
posted by honeybee413 at 7:13 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

Hungarian cherry soup, perhaps? I think the Hungarian is "meggyleves."
posted by humbug at 8:02 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

Soak them in booze and eat as a treat
Coat them in chocolate and eat as a treat
Bake them in chocolate chip cookies and eat as a treat
Bake them in almond cookies - sooo good
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:19 AM on March 16

I prefer dried cherries to raisens or cranberries in most recipes, assuming they aren't sweetened dried cherries. For example, a stuffed squash.

I might try rehydrating and cooking them with some vinegar, brown, sugar and spices to make a ketchup type sauce if I had a lot I didn't know what to do with. Fruit ketchups are often surprisingly great. A bit labor intensive with the cooking, blending, and straining though
posted by forbiddencabinet at 8:41 AM on March 16

If you enjoy faux sausage, I think it would be great with the dried cherries and rice or other grain as part of stuffed peppers. I’d be looking at either traditional American type flavor profiles (think Thanksgiving) or middle eastern/North African flavors. Stuffing any kind of squash or cabbage leaves could work as well.
posted by vunder at 10:16 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

I sprinkle dried cherries (and pecans and goat cheese if we've got it) on top of roasted brusell sprouts, it's a nice contrast of flavors.
posted by snowymorninblues at 1:53 PM on March 16 [1 favorite]

I throw them in while cooking oatmeal for breakfast, or do it the night before and then refrigerate. Then reheat the next morning for cherry-infused oatmeal.
posted by jeremias at 3:04 PM on March 16

I just had the thought of a spicy cherry condiment, either cherry jalapeno jam or cherry chipotle jam. Then spread it on everything.
posted by indexy at 3:21 PM on March 16

Pumpkin stuffed with everything good. It's more of a framework than a recipe, but I would absolutely love this with dried cherries.

Also cherries would be delightful in a chutney or a cranberry sauce.
posted by daikaisho at 6:41 PM on March 16

I made a stuffed pork loin with cornbread and dried cherry stuffing once upon a time that I still fantasize about occasionally.
posted by jferg at 8:37 PM on March 19

Anything you use raisins or cranberries in.

My favorite dessert recipe for this is Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies.
posted by softlord at 2:49 PM on March 28