Cherries — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Cherries is a fruit available in New Zealand during November, December, January, February, peaking in December, January. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy cherries, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Central Otago cherries are among the last to ripen globally, making them a premium export to Asia where cherry season has ended.
How to pick a good one
Darker = sweeter. Green stems firmly attached. No soft spots or wrinkles.
How to store it
Fridge immediately, unwashed, paper-towel-lined container. Deteriorate fast at room temperature.
Goes well with
dark chocolate: One of the most reliable flavour pairings. Both contain flavonoids with similar aromatic profiles. Chocolate's bitterness and cherry's bright acidity create a combination that tastes more complex than either.
almond: Cherry and almond share benzaldehyde, the compound responsible for marzipan flavour. They're not just compatible -- they're chemically related. The stone inside a cherry smells almost identical to almond extract.
vanilla: Vanilla's sweetness and floral warmth moderate cherry's sharp acidity without competing with it. The combination reads as 'ripe cherry' more than either ingredient alone.
port: Port's sweetness, tannins, and alcohol all amplify cherry. Cherries cooked in port taste more intensely cherry than cherries alone. The tannins also provide structure in a sauce.
duck: Duck fat is gamey and rich. Cherry's acidity and tannins cut through that fat and add brightness. Cherry sauces with duck work for the same structural reasons that orange does.
Recipes
Cherry Clafoutis
French. Impressive. Dead easy.
Ingredients: 300g cherries, 3 eggs, 80g sugar, 60g flour, 200ml milk, 1 tsp vanilla, butter for dish
Method: Butter a baking dish. Scatter cherries (pitted or not, traditionally not). Whisk eggs, sugar, flour, milk, vanilla until smooth. Pour over cherries. Bake 180C for 35 min until puffed and golden.
Cherry & Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
The combination that just works.
Ingredients: 300g cherries (pitted halved), 100g dark chocolate (chunked), 125g butter, 150g sugar, 1 egg, 200g flour, 1 tsp baking powder
Method: Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Fold in flour and baking powder. Fold in cherries and chocolate. Spoon onto trays. Bake 180C for 12 min.
Quick Cherry Compote
On yoghurt, ice cream, pancakes, everything.
Ingredients: 200g cherries (pitted), 2 tbsp sugar, squeeze lemon, splash water
Method: Simmer everything for 10 minutes until cherries burst and liquid thickens. Serve warm or cold.
Nutrition
One cup of cherries provides 25% of your daily vitamin C and 10% of your potassium. Rich in anthocyanins (the red pigments), which have anti-inflammatory properties. Tart cherries contain melatonin and have been shown in studies to improve sleep quality. About 90 calories per cup.