What to do with Sour Cherries: Sour Cherry Country Crisp and a Visit to Butler's Orchards

Last year I went to  Butler's Orchards with Cecilia and Laetitia to pick sour cherries. We had an incredible time and I picked ten pounds!

This year, Cecilia planned another trip to Butler's Orchards and we were joined by Stacey and K.

Unfortunately, this year's crop was crappy. The cherries that were low enough to pick were damaged. I managed to pick only 5 cups of sour cherries and then gave up. Cecilia and Stacey, however, got ladders! Oh the determination some people have ;)

K and I went across the "street" and picked blueberries instead. I got an entire bucket full of them: they were gorgeous, large and sweet.

As far as the blueberries, I'm just eating them as is and will also freeze some.

But what to do with the sour cherries?

Last year I made Sour Cherry & Sweet Cherry Frozen Yogurt and Sour Cherry Compote. But then last year I had 10 pounds. This time, I decided to use one of the recipes available from Butler's Orchards and made a Cherry Country Crisp.

{That's Cecilia on the right climbing the tree ;) Below are the photos of the gorgeous blueberries.}

Cherry Country Crisp
Recipe from Butler's Orchard {I followed it to a t, but left out the cinnamon.}

Ingredients
4 cups sour cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Spread cherries evenly in a 9-inch pie pan or baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Spread the mixture evenly over the cherries. Bake 30 minutes.

3. Serve warm.

OMG, this was one of the easiest and most satisfying desserts I've made. I also made a mini crisp in a cast iron skillet and served it with home made peach frozen yogurt.

Magically, I just happened to have a place mat with cherries on it: perfection.

Have you ever had sour cherries? Do you love them? Can you eat them directly from the tree? {I can!} What have you made with your sour cherries?