The first rose blooms, a dose of tree cotton, the last of the peas, and Colorado’s bright-pink cherries signal that summer has arrived.
Front Range residents can set their solstice watches to the region’s iconic sour cherries, tokens of the longest, most pleasant days of the year.
Let’s get this straight. The bright-red fruits of the Northern Star and Mortmorency trees aren’t sour. They are, however, very tart. The citric acid in each marble-sized cherry packs a punch, even when they turn ripe and bright-red. It’s that dependable bite and underlying cherry essence in this hard-to-come-by Colorado summer fruit that delivers so much unique flavor. This is the magic behind Colorado cherry pie, behind cherry preserves, cobblers, crisps, grilled lamb sauces and ice cream like you’ve never had before.
The sweet, dark cherry tree hates it along the Front Range. Those temperamental species of the Northwest will tolerate life on the Colorado Western Slope, but they’re not long for this world in the metro area’s harshly hot-and-cold-and-dry climate. The lowly rag cherry? Like the people who love to live here, it thrives on extreme Colorado.
And after such a harsh summer and winter last year, the metro area has been rewarded with a bumper crop of lively cherries. These small bombs of flavor are hard to come by in stores. For a limited time, they’ll show up at fruit stands and farmers markets in the area — for price, sometimes as much as $40 a quart. And that’s just about enough for one batch of jam or single July 4 pie.
These star-of-the-show pies are like no other. Despite the laborious task of carefully combing trees to fill buckets and bags in early summer heat, then tediously pitting hundreds of cherries to get enough, the prize is worth it.
Even if you’ve never made jelly or preserves before, sour cherry creations are easy and forgiving if you use commercial pectin and follow the directions. Observant measurement and timing yields perfect jam. But cherries are so acidic, that the worst that comes from slightly off-balance sugar is the best pancake and ice cream sundae syrup ever.
Don’t be intimidated by making cherry pie. If the idea of making pie crust horrifies you, order one already made from a reliable local bakery or restaurant. No one will tell. Avoid the pre-made grocery store products unless you’re desperate.
My favorite is a pate-brisee crust — nothing but flour, butter and salt. Made correctly, which really isn’t hard, and you get all the flakiness you expect and the rich taste of butter with every bite.
The trick here is to keep the pie tart enough to complement a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but sweet enough to make your eyes roll when you’re just licking the spoon or plate. It depends on how tart the cherries are, and how juicy. A rule of thumb is 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of pitted cherries. There are no flops here, just preferences. The argument over cornstarch versus flour as a thickener is never ending. Cornstarch cherry pies are candy for your eyes and your mouth. Flour-thickened pies have an earthy, comforting taste and texture. Look to “Joy of Cooking” or the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension for recipes.
The only other rule for a winning Colorado cherry pie is steadfast: less is best. Avoid the suggestions and temptations to add almond or vanilla flavorings, and especially lemon juice or zest. Baked, sweetened Colorado cherries are subtle and easily masked by additions. But the flavor and nuance is unmistakable. Let the unique taste of Colorado summer shine through by guarding it.
And always pick and pit more cherries than you need. A handful sauteed in a little red wine, balsamic vinegar and broth can dramatically change anything off the summer grill. A few cherries in a milk shake or a pan of brownies puts an exclamation mark on the season that won’t come again for another year.