Freezing Cherries

Fresh cherries are in season and I thought I'd show you how easy it is to freeze them for future use.  This technique works for sweet or tart cherries.  

Start with clean cherries.  Remove all stems and pits.  I like to use a nifty cherry pitter - it's kind of fun.... and as you can see, a little messy too.  Totally worth it though.

Actually, you can freeze cherries without pitting them, but I prefer to use a cherry pitter to get the pesky pits out before freezing.

Place the pitted cherries in a single layer on a sheet pan and pop them in the freezer for a few hours or overnight.  I've lined my pan with plastic wrap to keep the cherries from sticking and for easy cleanup.  Parchment paper would work too. 

If you have a side-by-side freezer, a quarter sheet pan should fit.

Here's how my cherries looked after they were frozen overnight.

Transfer the frozen cherries in a freezer-grade storage bag and place in freezer.  That's all there is to it.

---

Items used:

(affiliate links)

• cherry pitter https://amzn.to/3gvE8tV

• quarter sheet pan https://amzn.to/3BbaN1t

• chic wrap https://amzn.to/3BbbBn1

• freezer bags https://amzn.to/3LmtkNa

Berry Breakfast Smoothies

Our youngest is home from college this summer and we've been treating ourselves with smoothies each morning.  Too much work that early in the day?  No worries, just put everything in your blender jar and stash it in the fridge… the only thing you’ll have to do in the morning is walk your groggy self to the blender base and hit the power switch.

This recipe was inspired by Alton Brown.  It's not only delicious, but it contains high vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber so it's nutritious too!  

Start with strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and bananas (amounts given in the recipe below).  You can use fresh or frozen fruit.

If you use frozen fruit, place it in the blender jar and store overnight in fridge (to partially thaw) or on the counter (to fully thaw) before processing.  Makes for quicker morning prep too. 

Add pomegranate juice and milk (or milk substitute).

Blend until smooth.

Gotta love how fast and easy smoothies are to make. 

Breakfast for two - one for me and one for you.

And here's my little tip for cleaning that dirty blender jar.  Fill it with some water and ONE DROP of liquid dish soap.

Cover and blend, blend, blend.

All the junk is dislodged from the jar and lid - just a quick rinse and it's ready for breakfast tomorrow.  

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• digital scale https://amzn.to/3yeKeXS

• ninja master prep https://amzn.to/3JujXeS

---

Berry Breakfast Smoothie

makes 2 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ounce strawberries

• 4 ounces blueberries

• 4 ounces peaches

• 4 ounces bananas

• 4 ounces pomegranate juice

• 4 ounces milk (or milk substitute)

Directions

1. Weight all ingredients and place in blender or food processor; blend until smooth.

adapted from Alton Brown