It’s cherry season, and I invite you to make this incredible fresh cherry salsa for your next BBQ! Smit Orchards is the place to find them at your farmers market! I recently bought a few pounds and pondered over a few ideas for this post, and decided that the cherries were so sweet and satisfying just as they were, fresh and uncooked I decided on this salsa. Everyone enjoyed the crispness of the cherries with the fresh herbs as a new and creative use of this season’s new cherry crop.
Look for them in San Diego markets across town! They make a fantastic fresh apple cider too!
Although I have never seen a cherry tree, they are first on my list at the Spring farmer’s markets.
As you can see the chart below from the Cherry Commission of California the season is short, but worth the picking.
Summertime Fresh Cherry Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
- 2 Tbls. fresh basil, chopped
- 3 Tbls. red or green pepper, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce
- salt to taste
Instructions
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Dice cherries and combine with the remaining ingredients.
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Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.
Recipe Notes
Can be served with pita chips, or chips of your choice.
This recipe can be doubled for a large crowd.
Cherry Tips
- To pit cherries, smash with the side of a knife and remove pit. Or buy an inexpensive hand pitter at the grocery store.
- Add pitted cherries to salad greens, along with nuts, and thinly sliced red onion.
- Sprinkle chopped sweet cherries over plain or frozen yogurt.
- Make melon and cherry skewers for a healthy snack.
- Use cherry juice instead of vinegar for dressings.
How to Choose Cherries
- Color is a good way to judge phytonutrient content in cherries, and sour varieties are higher in antioxidants. Here are some varieties to look for when this fruit comes in season this Spring.
- Balaton is a deep burgundy cherry with a sweet-tart flavor.
- Bing cherries developed in Oregon, are big and round with extra sweetness.
- Lambert, similar in texture and taste to Bing, is small and heart-shaped.
- Montmorency, a sour cherry that is often frozen, is smaller than sweet, bright red in color, and popular in pies.
- Morello, useful for cooking as well as eating, has deep red flesh and dark juice.
Pick cherries when in season, for the best salsa!
Mary
Recipe is inspired the American Institute for Cancer Research
© 2011 – 2023, Mary Papoulias-Platis. All rights reserved.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I hope I can wait until the weekend to make your salsa – really looks terrific and we love cherries at our house.
Thanks Liz,
All the farmer’s markets have them: check out Smit Orchards!
Hi. This recipe looks great. I will try it this week. My husband and I have been trying to eat healthier. Paula said she took a cooking class from you some time ago and really enjoyed it. When things slow down a bit, we would like to take a class too. (We are fine but we are helping to take care of our fathers – one is 91 and the other is 90!)
Take care and best wishes.
Cathy Davis Rising
No cherries currently at my farmer’s market, so I will hunt them down at the store. This looks to amazing to pass up.
I hope the farmers have them…this is a crowd pleaser!
Thanks Cathy! By the way Laura and I are speaking at Campblogaway-coming?
Hi Cathy, We are all in this situation, so I can understand. I do come to your home if you can get 5-6 people interested!It’s so nice to hear from you…xo miss everyone!