Le temps des cerises is a French expression meaning the time when you’re young, with the implication that you should make the most of it.  I got back from the UK to find the fridge filled with sacks, bowls and jugs of cherries requiring immediate attention.  It’s enough to turn my few remaining dark hairs white, I must say.  This time it was Mike who picked them using a borrowed cherry picker.  I have fond memories of Antonia climbing on the car roof under the tree while he was away last year.  Mike’s method is more effective, hence the bumper harvest.

I made 6 jars of jam, but the problem is that the cherries are already very sweet, so the jam is even more so.  I imagine it will get used more in cakes and pies than for spreading.  I am planning a cherry chocolate cake!  I’ve decided the way to go for the future is drying them.  Luckily we have a drier so it only takes about 9 hours per batch.  I dread to think what that costs in electricity.  The results are delicious though.  We will freeze them till needed for extra safety – they don’t take up much space.  I am also trying to make glace cherries which I use regularly around Christmas.  It is a long process and I don’t know how well it will work yet.

In the meantime, I have pitted about a thousand cherries!