Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: September 24th, 2021. It’s National Cherries Jubilee Day and before you ask me Charlie and I haven’t ever had this dessert because we don’t care for Cherries. But David does and I bet if he had a chance he would like to try this dessert out.
Have you tried Cherries Jubilee if so what did you think of this dessert and why?
1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks
1/3 cup sugar
1 (15-ounce) can dark sweet cherries, drained, reserve 1/4 cup juice
1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons brandy
How to make
- Melt Butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat; add Sugar. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, 2-2 1/2 minutes or until mixture just begins to brown around edges.
- Add reserved Cherry Juice and Cinnamon Stick pieces. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 1-2 minutes or until mixture is reduced by half.
- Add Cherries, Vanilla and Lemon Zest. Bring mixture to a boil; stir in Cherry Liqueur. Add Brandy. Shake pan to ignite Brandy; continue cooking until flames subside. (If using electric stove or preparing table side, ignite Brandy in pan with a long match.)
- Place Ice Cream into individual bowls. For each serving, spoon 2 tablespoons of Cherries and sauce over Ice Cream.
Today’s Food Fact:
Cherries ‘Jubilee’ was credited by Chef Auguste Escoffier, who created the dish for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
Five facts to know about Cherries:
- Cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy Stone Fruit.
- Cherry Fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including cultivars of the Wild Cherry, Prunus Avium.
- The name ‘Cherry’, often as the compound term ‘Cherry Tree’, may also be applied to many other members of the genus Prunus, or to all embers of the genus as a collective term.
- The Fruits of many of these are not Cherries, and have other common names, including Plum, Apricot, Peach, and others.
- The name ‘Cherry’ is also frequently used in reference to Cherry Blossom.
National Cherries Jubilee Day on September 24 celebrates a very unique dessert that deserves more love! Cherries Jubilee is a dish that involves Cherries and Liqueur, usually a Brandy or Kirschwasser. The Cherries were simply poached in a sugary syrup and served with warm Brandy, which was set on fire for a dramatic presentation when served to guests.
Modern recipes serve the Cherries with Ice Cream, but the fire has remained a key part of this dish. Cherries Jubilee was first served at one of the Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria and the popularity for the dessert skyrocketed during her reign. Cherries Jubilee was considered a highly fashionable dessert to offer one’s guests. The dessert made a comeback in the 1950s and 1960s, and now this classic dessert has earned itself a new brand of retro prestige. For National Cherries Jubilee Day on September 24, we invite you to join us in indulging in this dessert.
NATIONAL CHERRIES JUBILEE DAY ACTIVITIES
- Order yourself Cherries Jubilee. A number of restaurants have started to offer this dessert again, now that Cherries Jubilee has transitioned from a popular dish of the 1950s to a retro-fabulous dessert in modern times. Check around your local restaurants and find a place that serves Cherries Jubilee near you. On September 24, make a point to visit that restaurant and try out the dessert for yourself. Even better, bring a friend and share the experience. Just don’t invite anyone with a fear of fire!
- Make Cherries Jubilee at home and recipes do vary, but you can find any number of easy recipes online to try out your first homemade Cherries Jubilee. Pick up Cherries and pit them, or skip the prep work and snag a bag of frozen Cherries. Simmer your Cherries in Water, add Sugar, and when the Water thickens up into a Syrupy Sauce, you’re ready to stir in your Liqueur and serve. Use an Ice Cream of your choice (Vanilla is the classic option here), and don’t forget the fire! A stick lighter will protect your hands from flare-ups, and be sure to let the flames burn out before digging in.
- Host your own Jubilee a a fancy party, usually where everyone wears big hats. Jubilees are traditionally hosted to celebrate the 25th or 50th anniversary of something, like a Queen’s reign, a business inception, or a Wedding. But National Cherries Jubilee Day gives you all the excuse you need to throw your own jubilee. Send out invitations, pick up some swanky classical tunes, and encourage your guests to show up in powdered Wigs. And of course, be sure to serve Cherries Jubilee for dessert.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL CHERRIES JUBILEE DAY
- Cherries are one of America’s favorite Berries, and we have hundreds of Cherry-themed dishes to prove it. But unlike the Cherry Pie, Cherry Salad, Cherry-Cranberry Jelly, Cherried Pork, and other desserts, starters, and main courses that incorporate this Berry, Cherries Jubilee has some Royal history behind it. As one of the desserts served at the Jubilees of Queen Victoria in the late 1800s, Cherries Jubilee not only delivers on the Cherries, but does so with regal dignity and Royal style.
- Did we mention Cherries Jubilee is served on fire? This classic dessert is served Flambé, which means that the dish is literally set alight when it hits the table. Though dramatic and impressive, this fire doesn’t really affect the taste of the dessert. The Cherries are poached in syrup, the Cherries are mixed with Alcohol, traditionally Brandy or the modern substitution of Kirschwasser Liqueur. When the dish is set on fire, this Alcohol burns so quickly that the flames flare up and burn out without damaging the Cherries at all. Making this a warmer, more Caramelized Cherry concoction that still has some of that Liqueur flavor left over.
- Though Queen Victoria never served her Cherries Jubilee dessert with Ice Cream, modern technology has made Ice Cream so easily accessible that we really couldn’t help adding Ice Cream into the mix. Vanilla Ice Cream is typically served with Cherries Jubilee, but some daring restaurants have branched out, offering up new versions of this treat. Cherries Jubilee with Cherry Ice Cream delivers an all-out Cherry blast, and for Chocolate-Cherry lovers there are versions with Chocolate Ice Cream. There’s even a version with Pistachio!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
