Chamomile Tea Poached Cherries

Weekend Herb Blogging remains in Melbourne where the always lovely Anh from A Food Lover's Journey is hosting. This week I finally get to enjoy the start of Cherry season.


These are Early Burlat Cherries - a large, fleshy, sweet and juicy cherry that as the name early implies, comes into fruit before other varieties.

The only trouble with fresh cherries is fighting the compulsion to devour them in one sitting, I found a solution to this is to poach them. This also helps to extend the lifespan of the cherry.

I've taken a slightly different approach this time and poached the cherries in chamomile tea - those subtle honey notes found in chamomile really work well with the flavour of cherry.



Chamomile Tea Poached Cherries

500 grams fresh cherries, pitted
2 cups brewed chamomile tea
¾ cup caster sugar, approx

Pour the brewed tea and sugar into a saucepan and place over a gentle heat - stir until the sugar has dissolved before adding the pitted cherries.

Let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cherries soften slightly and have leached their colour into the syrup. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cherries, increase the heat and bring the syrup to a rapid boil. Reduce the syrup by a third.

Pour the syrup back over the cherries and stir well to coat.

Depending on your preference, these can be served, cold, warm or hot. If you aren't using them straight away, store them in a sealed container in the fridge.