Tart Cherry Recipes You'll Want to Pucker Up For

Whether you’re looking to enjoy tart cherries (commonly referred to as sour cherries) in a refreshing cocktail, with savory dishes like fish or pork or in your next dessert, you’ll definitely want to get your hands on these delicious recipes.
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Sour Cherry Gin Fizz

Start to finish: 5 mins
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We've added a little red, white and blue to the classic gin fizz to create a summer cocktail that's perfect for Fourth of July celebrations or any other summer party. Sour cherries contain anthocyanins, antioxidants shown to reduce muscle soreness after workouts, and melatonin, which can help you sleep better. If you can't find them fresh, use frozen. Skip jarred or canned cherries to avoid added sugar.

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Grilled Chicken Salad with Freekeh, Preserved Lemon & Dried Cherries

Start to finish: 1 hr
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Dried cherries add color and sweet and tart flavor, while mint and parsley give this healthy grain salad recipe fresh notes. If fresh sweet cherries are available, you could add those instead. Serve this chicken salad recipe with tzatziki sauce and mixed greens on the side.

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Sour Cherry-Fruit Slump

Start to finish: 1 hr
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A slump (sometimes called a grunt) is a cobbler with light, puffy steamed dumplings, rather than browned biscuit dough, on the top. This variation calls for tart “pie” cherries as well as an assortment of sweeter summer fruit (berries and plums) to round out the flavor and brighten the sour-cherry color. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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Pork Fajitas with Smoky Cherry Salsa

Start to finish: 45 mins
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This pork fajitas recipe with grilled pork tenderloin, onions and peppers gets a sweet-smoky aroma and flavor when topped with chipotle-infused cherry salsa. Manchego cheese, though untraditional for fajitas, pairs nicely.

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Cherry Sorbet

Start to finish: 40 mins
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Try this cherry sorbet recipe with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or some more chopped cherries on top.

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Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Dried Cherries & Pecans

Start to finish: 40 mins
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Dried cherries and nuts give this healthy sweet potato side dish recipe a traditional feel. The addition of some bacon for lushness and Aleppo pepper for a little bite really kicks things up.

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Cranberry, Cherry & Walnut Marmalade

Start to finish: 2 hrs
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Fresh cranberries get crunch from walnuts and an infusion of sweetness from dried cherries in this take on a classic marmalade. Leftovers are great on a turkey sandwich.

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Sugarplum Biscotti

Start to finish: 2 hrs
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Dunk these fruitcake-inspired whole-grain biscotti in a cup of hot tea or coffee.

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Puffed Cherry Pancake

Start to finish: 40 mins
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This puffed cherry pancake is similar to an Apfelpfannkuchen--a puffy German pancake full of apples. Dust it with confectioners' sugar or drizzle with maple syrup for a special breakfast treat.

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Quick Cherry Sauce

Start to finish: 15 mins
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Frozen pitted cherries make this luscious sauce a snap to make. Try substituting frozen raspberries if you prefer.

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Cherry-Lime Gin Rickey

Start to finish: 15 mins
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Gin, seltzer, bitters, lime juice, cherries and simple syrup combine for a truly refreshing cocktail in this gin rickey recipe. For a nonalcoholic rickey, omit the gin and add a little more seltzer.

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