Fresh cherries

Name: Fresh cherries
Ingredients: 650 g cherries; 3 cups of still water (250 ml cup); 7 tablespoons of sugar; 1/2 lemon; 2 star anise

Beverages - Fresh cherries by Semenica J. - Recipia

Cherry Lemonade with Anise When I have ripe cherries, I use them to make a homemade fresh drink without boiling. The fruits are turned into a puree, then combined with water, sugar, lemon, and a bit of anise. The mixture sits in the fridge overnight, allowing the flavors to meld, and the next day it is strained. It is a cold, lightly flavored drink that can be kept in the fridge and served simply. Quick Info Total Time: preparation is done in two stages, with overnight refrigeration Preparation Time: not specified exactly; includes washing, cleaning, mashing the cherries, and assembling the drink Cooking Time: not applicable Servings: not specified; the quantity is for a bowl of fresh made from 650 g of cherries and 3 cups of water Difficulty: easy Recipe Type: cold drink, fruit fresh, no boiling Ingredients 650 g cherries 3 cups of still water, 250 ml each 7 tablespoons of sugar 1/2 lemon 2 star anise Preparation Method 1. Wash the cherries well under cold running water. Remove the stems and pit the cherries. It is easier to do this step before putting the fruits in the blender, so the puree is smooth and there are no pits among the fruits. 2. Place the pitted cherries in the blender. Add the sugar and mash the fruits until you get a puree. There is no need to add water in the blender; it is added later, directly into the bowl. 3. Transfer the cherry puree to a large bowl. Pour in the 3 cups of still water and mix well with a wooden spoon, so that the puree and sugar are evenly distributed in the liquid. 4. Squeeze a quarter of the lemon into the mixture. The rest of the lemon is sliced and added to the bowl. 5. Add the 2 star anise to the mixture. Mix again, then cover the bowl and place it in the fridge overnight. During this time, the lemon and anise will infuse their flavor into the drink. 6. The next day, strain the fresh to separate the liquid from the cherry pulp, lemon slices, and anise. Pour the drink into a clean bottle. 7. Keep the bottle in the fridge. The fresh drink is served cold. Why I Make This Recipe Often I love this recipe because it uses cherries in a simple way and doesn’t require boiling. Besides cleaning the fruits and blending, it doesn’t have many steps, and most of the flavoring happens in the fridge overnight. It is especially useful when there are a lot of cherries and you want to turn them into a refreshing drink, not a cooked dish. The lemon balances the sweetness of the sugar and cherries, while the anise adds a subtle flavor. For a more pleasant taste, it’s best not to skip the straining: the fresh will be easier to drink and won’t have bits of pulp, skin, or spices. Tips Cherries should be washed before being cleaned of stems and pits. Once turned into puree, the mixture can stain easily, so it’s more convenient to work directly over the bowl or to transfer the puree immediately after blending. Respect the overnight refrigeration time. This is part of the recipe and allows the flavors of lemon and anise to combine with the cherry puree. Mix well after adding the water and sugar before refrigerating. The sugar must be distributed in the liquid, not concentrated at the bottom of the bowl. Strain the drink before putting it in the bottle. Depending on how much pulp the cherries have, the fresh can be thicker or clearer, but the exact amount of liquid obtained is not specified in the recipe. Substitutions The recipe uses still water, which is the liquid base of the drink. No substitution is indicated in the original version, so if you want to keep the taste of the recipe, use still water. For sugar, the source indicates 7 tablespoons and does not offer an alternative or adjusted amount for another sweetener. If you change the sweetener, the taste and texture may differ, especially since sugar also contributes to the balance between cherries and lemon. Lemon should not be replaced if you want the specific flavor of the recipe. It is used both as juice and sliced. Variations You can prepare the fresh with sweeter or more sour cherries, keeping the other quantities in the recipe. The final taste will depend on the variety and ripeness of the fruits. The amount of anise should remain at the 2 stars indicated in the recipe if you want the flavor to stay subtle. Anise has a quite pronounced taste, and infusing it overnight makes it more noticeable in the drink. Another simple variation is the straining method: for a fresh with more pulp, you can allow some of the puree to pass through, and for a lighter drink, you can strain it more carefully. However, the basic recipe requires straining before bottling. Serving Ideas The cherry fresh is served cold, directly from the fridge. You can pour it into glasses immediately after straining or keep it in the bottle and gently shake before serving if the pulp settles. It is suitable as a cold drink alongside a meal or as an alternative to store-bought juices. Because the recipe contains sugar, the quantity can be divided into smaller glasses, depending on how you want to serve it. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Do the cherries have to be pitted before going into the blender? Yes. The stems and pits are removed before blending. Only the cherry pulp is used in the recipe. 2. Can I put the water directly in the blender? The recipe indicates mashing the cherries with the sugar, then transferring the puree to a bowl and adding the water there. To follow the original steps, the water is added after obtaining the puree. 3. How long should the fresh sit in the fridge? The mixture should be covered and left in the fridge overnight. The recipe does not specify an exact number of hours. 4. Is the anise removed before straining? The star anise remains in the mixture during refrigeration, then the drink is strained. This way, it is removed along with the lemon slices and cherry pulp. 5. How long can the fresh be kept? The recipe indicates keeping it in the fridge, in a bottle. No exact duration for storage is specified, so it is recommended to consume it as fresh as possible and to keep it cold. Nutritional Values The values are estimates and refer to the entire quantity prepared, calculated based on the 650 g of cherries, 7 tablespoons of sugar, and half a lemon. The exact amount per serving cannot be established without a specified final yield and without knowing how many glasses the fresh is divided into. For the entire batch: Calories: approximately 750-800 kcal Carbohydrates: approximately 190-200 g Proteins: approximately 6-8 g Fats: approximately 2-3 g Fiber: approximately 10-14 g before straining After straining, some fiber and fruit pulp remain in the sieve, so the effective values in the liquid may be slightly lower. Most of the calories come from cherries and added sugar. Anise and lemon contribute very little to the total caloric intake. Storage and Reheating The fresh is kept in the fridge, in a bottle, after being strained. It is not reheated, as it is a drink meant to be consumed cold. Before serving, it can be gently stirred if the pulp has settled at the bottom of the bottle. The recipe does not specify an exact storage period, so it is better to consume it as fresh as possible and not leave it at room temperature.

Fresh cherries

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