Sour cherry is largely associated with a single use in Turkey: syrup and jam. Yet dried, it occupies a far wider place in the kitchen.
What is its acid profile?
Sour cherry is a different fruit from sweet cherry.
Its acidity is markedly higher, with a pH between 3.2 and 3.6.
The dominant acid is malic acid.
Its sugar runs 8 grams per hundred when fresh; sweet cherry runs 13.
Water leaves during drying and both sugar and acid concentrate.
Sugar rises to 50 or 55 grams per hundred in dried sour cherry.
But because the acid remains, the product does not become one-dimensionally sweet.
That is what separates dried sour cherry from raisins and dates; those products bring only sweetness while sour cherry brings acid as well.
How is it used in sweet products?
There are five widespread uses.
The first is cakes and biscuits. It goes straight into the batter; its acidity balances the sweetness and the sugar can be reduced.
The second is chocolate products. Dark chocolate and sour cherry is a classic pairing; both carry acidity and astringency.
The third is granola and muesli. Dried sour cherry brings life to the flat taste of grains.
The fourth is milk puddings. It gets scattered over rice pudding and muhallebi.
The fifth is ice cream and parfaits. The perception of aroma falls in a frozen product; the intense acidity of sour cherry compensates for that.
| Use | Hydration | Quantity per head | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cakes and biscuits | Needed | 15-25 g | Should be floured |
| Chocolate products | Not needed | 10-15 g | With dark chocolate |
| Granola, muesli | Not needed | 10-15 g | Straight in |
| Milk puddings | Needed | 10 g | Scattered on top |
| Meat dishes | Not needed | 20-30 g | Last 20 minutes |
| Pilaf | Needed | 15-20 g | Cooked with onion |
| Salads | Not needed | 10-15 g | With walnuts |
| Sauces | Needed | 30-40 g | Crushed |
Does it belong in savoury dishes?
It does, and it is used increasingly.
The sixth use is meat dishes. The acidity of sour cherry balances fatty meats.
It forms a classic pairing with lamb and duck.
It goes in during the last twenty minutes; added earlier it breaks down.
The seventh use is pilaf. Dried sour cherry gets cooked with onion and then with the rice.
That use is widespread in Ottoman cooking.
The eighth use is salads. It gets used with walnuts and goat's cheese; the three complete a triangle of acid, fat and salt.
When is hydration needed?
Dried sour cherry contains 15 to 20 percent moisture.
Added straight to a batter it draws moisture from around it.
That dries the product.
The cherries also stay hard during baking.
The solution hydrates them first.
They sit in warm water for fifteen minutes.
They then get drained and dried thoroughly.
Cherry juice, tea or hot milk can replace the water.
There are uses needing no hydration; the product works better dry in granola, chocolate and salads because the contrast in texture is wanted.
How are sauces and syrups made?
The ninth use is sauce.
Dried sour cherry gets simmered in water or fruit juice.
It gets crushed once softened.
A little sugar and a pinch of salt go in.
Starch or long simmering provides the consistency.
That sauce goes into meat dishes and desserts.
The tenth use is syrup and drinks. Dried sour cherry gets steeped in hot water.
The resulting liquid gets cooled and served as a drink.
What separates it from a syrup is the low quantity of sugar; the cherry's own sugar provides enough sweetness and the product carries fewer calories.
What separates the dried cherry varieties?
Three types appear on the market.
Unsweetened dried sour cherry is the most natural; it contains only fruit.
Its acidity is pronounced and its taste sharp.
Sweetened dried sour cherry is softer and sweeter.
Sugar or glucose syrup appears on the label; those products get eaten mostly as a snack.
Freeze-dried sour cherry is a different category; the water is entirely gone and the product porous and crisp.
It is not used in baking; heat and moisture break it down.
Unsweetened dried sour cherry should be preferred in recipes; a sweetened product upsets the recipe's sugar balance and makes calculation difficult.
What is the nutritional value of dried sour cherry?
A hundred grams of dried sour cherry is around 320 calories.
Carbohydrate is 74 grams, of which 52 are sugars.
Fibre is 3.5 grams.
Potassium is 380 milligrams.
It is rich in anthocyanins; those compounds provide its dark colour.
Sour cherry also contains melatonin, a substance associated with sleep, though the quantity in a dried product is limited.
The portion is 25 to 30 grams, which is around 90 calories and a handful.
Dried fruits are calorie-dense products; eaten without portion control, daily sugar intake rises quickly.
How is dried sour cherry stored?
Dried sour cherry is low in moisture but not entirely dry.
It keeps six months at room temperature in a closed container.
That extends to a year in a fridge.
Two years in a freezer.
An airtight container should be used; in an open bag the product both dries and takes on odours.
White crystals can form at the surface; that is sugar crystallisation and not a problem.
The product clumps once it takes up moisture and a risk of mould arises.
Hardened dried sour cherry can be softened again by standing ten minutes in warm water and used in recipes without problems.
How is it chosen when shopping?
Four indicators apply when choosing dried sour cherry.
The first is colour. A deep red, matt appearance is normal.
Very glossy products can carry oil or a coating.
The second is texture. The product should be pliable; cherries as hard as stone have been over-dried.
The third is the ingredient list. An unsweetened product carries one ingredient: sour cherry.
The fourth is clumping. Product stuck together has taken up moisture.
A sulphur dioxide warning on the pack should be checked too; that preservative keeps the colour bright but appears on the allergen list and can cause problems for sensitive people.
Buying from a shop with fast turnover also matters more than the packaging suggests, since dried fruit loses its pliability steadily on a shelf.
