Cherry season.

It's cherry season now,  I've been keeping an eye on the tree  over these last few days,  picking and tasting,  if it's too soon they are a bit sour and difficult to pick,  leave it a day or two more and it can be  too late and the birds clean out the whole tree.  Or worse, just peck at the cherries and spoil them.

I picked a bowlful this morning...

then one very sticky hour later I had a kilo of de-stalked and de-stoned  cherries  (is that right?  The stalking and stoning bit -  I've got red lines under my spellings but I know what I mean!) 

In the cupboard was a litre of local Spanish rum,  on the shelf a jar of miel de caña - sugar cane honey -  and  after sterilising 3 large jars,  we now have preserved cherries.  The preserving recipe book says to keep them in a dark place for about 3 months before eating.....we'll see if they last that long!

Ron the Joker - strange name for a rum you might think but ron is Spanish for rum,  can't explain the joker part though,  maybe it's something to do with the price as it's only €5.95 a litre,   £4.85 to those of you reading in UK.