Britain's cherry season began last month in June and runs through to September. Cherries happen to be one of my favourite fruits of all time; up their with watermelon and dragon fruit.
There are a number of varieties of cherry that ripen at different times. 'Mercant' cherries are available now and can be distinguished by their dark red skin and large size. Others include the exclusive Penny, Kordia' and 'Sweetheart', which ripens towards the end of the season. Personally they all look the same to me.
Cherries are of course a fruit and they grow on cherry trees which grow very big. In fact the largest cherry tree in the UK is a massive 45 feet tall. Cherry trees come with some interesting history and according to legend, Roman road routes can be traced by spotting wild cherry trees. It is believed by some that Roman legions spat out cherry stones to mark routes through Britain.
Cherries are a stone fruit, but the stone is small. I've been eating and enjoying cherries for so long that the stones no longer bother me. I simply eat around them or spit the stone out. There is a kitchen gadget available for removing cherry stones, but I think this is probably better used if cooking, baking or juicing etc.
Both myself and my two girls absolutely love eating cherries. We enjoy them as snacks as opposed to the more unhealthier stuff. We eat them any time of the day too, even for breakfast. I love the whole sweetness and juiciness of them and find the firmer they are, the sweeter they are. I'm quite surprised at just how little they cost too. A 200g punnet costs it's a pound in Asda stores and obviously they are so much better for children (and adults) than sweets.
I keep my punnets in the fridge, I have no idea if that's what I'm supposed to do, and even if it's not, I'll still do it anyway. I think they taste lovely chilled and also really refreshing.
Izebella says she prefers cherries to sweets and it shows on her little face!
