Cherries

[binley100]

I have a cherry tree....variety is Stella but the fruit has never tasted sweet enough to eat. Just wondering if I could use the fruit in anything else like cherry brandy or vodka or even to cook with.?

[rustylady]

Course you can.

[binley100]

ok. I'm fancying the cherry vodka idea. would I hve to prick the fruit as in sloe gin?

[rustylady]

Yes, I think it would help.

[valmarg]

Where did you buy your tree from.?

From experience some trees have not been 'true to lable'.

valmarg

[binley100]

I bought the tree years ago from a garden catalogue ( marshalls I think) as a dwarf tree for a pot on the patio ...it was said that it was Stella a sweet cherry. Got fed up with it in a pot cos the cherries were never sweet so put it in the garden. Its Now as tall as the garage and we get loads of cherries on it but usually leave them for the birds as they just not sweet enough to eat.

[Hilary B]

For making 'cherry brandy', if you 'dry sugar' for a couple of days, you don't have to prick the fruit (I get good results this way with sloes).

[valmarg]

I think you may have been sold the wrong variety. From your description what you have is a Morello tree. A sour cooking variety, not what you paid for.

I would complain to the company you bought it from. It is not what you wanted, or thought you were ordering.

If you have no success, complain to your local Trading Standards office.

When you complain most companies are only to happy to rectify their mistakes.

I really think you should complain;.
valmarg

[binley100]

Valmarg, I've had the tree too many years to be able to complain now. OH reckons its maybe an ornamental cherry and we shouldn't use the fruit.

[roitelet]

Morello cherries make smashing jam.

[Nicos]

What colour are the cherries?
My stella had yellow and blush fruit, whereas my mom's morello had small black fruit.

[Hilary B]

I don't know of any reason why the fruit of an 'ornamental' cherry tree would be unusable. If they look like proper cherries, I would suspect they would be fine to use.
I know people who have 'ornamental' crab apple trees and don't realise the fruit can be used to make delicious jelly (all sorts of colours, depending on fruit colour, from palest peachy-pink to deep burgundy red)

[binley100]

They are bright red at the moment but they will go darker, tho' not as dark as the cherries you buy in the shops. They aren't as large as shop bought cherries either.

[valmarg]

Binley, you say you have had the tree too long to complain.

How many years has the tree borne fruit? You say you have had it three years. I assume that last year was the first year it fruited.

I think I would still write/phone the company and let them know that the product you received was not what you ordered.

You think you ordered from Marshalls. They are a well respected supplier, and I think they would appreciate being told that what they had supplied was not what you ordered.

If you had said J Parker, well that would be another matter, and there would be no poiint complaining.

valmarg

[binley100]

I hadn't said how long i've had it . Working it out its probably about nearer 20 years. So I've definatley no paperwork .