Season's Eatings: Make the Most of Cherry Season in Beijing With Cherry Picking and Pickling

Cherry season is my absolute favorite season in Beijing. Growing up, cherries were my favorite fruit, bar none, but imported supermarket packs were expensive enough to make them just an occasional treat. So you can imagine my joy at seeing fruit stalls around the city (those that haven't been bulldozed by the ongoing bricking, that is) setting out boxes brimming with cherries of all sizes and colors. 

To really make it feel like you've earned your fruit fix, there are a number of cherry farms on the outskirts of Beijing in Changping, Mentougou, and Haidian where you can go and pick your own cherries. Try Tian Run Tong Orchard near the Ming Tombs, where an afternoon picking up to 2kg of cherries will set you back RMB 116 (including free parking). 

If you'd rather just buy them, look out for cherries from Tian You An Farm in Changping, available at Farm to Neighbors' market (check farm2neighbors on WeChat for a list of vendors, updated weekly), who produce a number of different varieties, from small, intensely maroon cherries to large, sweet Rainier cherries. 

Aside from just stuffing them in your mouth, there are plenty of things you can cook with cherries. Niki Segnit's wonderful book The Flavor Thesaurus lists cherries as pairing well with lamb, smoked fish, hazelnuts, walnuts, vanilla, and goat's cheese (try one from Le Fromager de Pékin, such as the Crottin, also available at Farm to Neighbors). 

Speaking of goat's cheese, while you can certainly enjoy it paired with fresh cherries, why not preserve some of the season's bounty and make pickled cherries? A worthy addition to any cheese board, these are scented with the flavors of five-spice – Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and fennel. 

Five-spice pickled cherries
Adapted from a recipe by She Simmers

500g cherries (no need to stone, leave some stems intact for presentation)
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns (花椒 huājiāo)
1 cinnamon stick (肉桂皮 ròuguìpí)
2 bay leaves (香叶 xiāngyè)
2 whole star anise (八角 bājião)
1/2 tsp whole cloves (丁香 dīngxiāng)
1/2 tsp whole fennel seeds (茴香种子 huíxiāng zhŏngzĭ)

• Wash the cherries thoroughly and then prick each on a couple of times with a toothpick/skewer. Put into a sealable jar* big enough to hold the cherries and the pickling liquid.
• Combine all the remaining ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds.
• Pour the liquid over the cherries. Leave to cool down completely before closing the lid and then place in the fridge.
• The cherries will keep, sealed, in the fridge for around one month.

*You can buy really cheap preserving jars on Taobao. Simply search for "果酱瓶."

READ: Essential Ingredients to Cooking Healthy Grub, Chinese Style!

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Photos: Pixabay, Robynne Tindall, Fitness Magazine