This thing with cherries…

July 25, 2017

Best Cherry Recipes | In Jennie's Kitchen

The seasons feel a bit wonky up here. Strawberries felt fleeting. Here today, gone tomorrow. I didn’t freeze one berry, and my jam reserves are quite scant, too. I think I went pie crazy, and enjoyed them that way, so it’s not like I missed out completely. It’s just the difference between having preserved some to carry me through the long winter, and letting my memories of the joy they brought sustain me. It hadn’t occurred to me until this very moment how closely that is linked to grief and loss.

We take for granted that there will always be next year, but sometimes the weather runs amok, crops are lost, and all you have are the memories of what you ate or made with them to nourish you until they appear again, hopefully the next season. But what if there’s another crop loss? What if you’re not here for some reason next year?

I can just hear Mikey whispering in my ear—”why are you getting so existential over cherries?” He’s right, I’m sure, but I tend to get lost down these rabbit holes. He was always good at throwing a hand to catch me before I descended too far into the abyss of my thoughts.

Anyway, as I began prepping for vacation, and saw the stock pile of cherries in my freezer (along with pie filling and jars of jam & conserves in the basement), I figured it would be a good idea to remind you of all the cherry-centric recipes I’ve written throughout the years. The slushies crush me every time. They’re one of our absolute favorite summertime treats.

It’s the very last one I shared here, unknowingly of course, before Michael passed away almost six years ago. Sometime it’s hard to revisit, but every now and then, I close my eyes, take a taste, and try to remember when my heart felt lighter, and forever felt like it could be longer than the 16 years we had together.

What I love about that recipe is that it freezes to a smooth, creamy consistency. It’s almost too easy to scoop out, leaving you with an empty cup sooner than you wish. One taste, though, and you’ll never forget how truly amazing it tastes.