Cherry Work 2026 🇫🇷 Making Preserves in France

The cherries in our garden are having a bumper crop again this year.
Perhaps because last year's harvest was on the smaller side, we picked so many, so many.

These clever girls ripened during a slightly cooler period between the intense heat waves.
Thanks to that, I was able to get the cherry work done without any issues.

When it's 40 degrees outside, I really don't feel like boiling jam, you know.

The cherries in our garden are the large, pitch-black type, like American cherries.
They are plump and incredibly sweet!

It's not like a sausage commercial, but it feels like crispy and juicy🍒.

They are so delicious, but we picked so many that they've lost their sense of rarity.

Besides, I have an allergy, so I can't eat them raw; it might be a waste of their deliciousness.

For our own share, after removing the pits and stems, it's about 10 kilograms net.

Since I toss out anything that looks like it might have bugs, there might be about 20 kilograms before sorting.

We've also sent off even more than that to friends and neighbors.
It's cherry diplomacy, I suppose.

Everyone comes over to pick them, so harvesting while chatting is my annual pleasure.

The most troublesome part of cherry work is the cleanup after pitting.

The pitting itself goes quickly with a clack-clack motion.
But the juice splatters everywhere.
Cherries roll off and leave marks here and there.

It splatters on my face and arms like blood spatter, giving it a bit of a horror movie vibe.

Most of the cherries are portioned out and put in the freezer.
Each bag is about 600g, which is enough for one clafoutis.

Right now, they are really crowding the freezer, and I want to use them up quickly.

If you come to visit the Akari house, you'll definitely be served clafoutis~.

For freezing, I sprinkle about 10% sugar and let it sit overnight.
I make sure to draw out the moisture before freezing.

If there is too much moisture, the clafoutis batter ends up soggy.

I made the jam with 3 kg of cherries.
The sugar content is 60%.

Even though we live in France, we are a family that doesn't eat bread for breakfast.
I used to make a lot, but it just gets in the way, so I've settled on a more modest amount now.

▼ I simmer the jam in a Le Creuset cocotte. The large one is heavy and doesn't get much use, but it really is perfect for stews.

This is a clafoutis made with the first batch of the season, done while juggling my cherry work.

I got the timing wrong for sprinkling sugar on top, so it's a bit darker than usual.

I actually preferred this extra toasted flavor, so from now on, I'll sprinkle the sugar on before baking.

I don't usually like clafoutis that much, but the sweetness really hit the spot for my tired body!

▼ Here is the clafoutis recipe 🍒 It's a nutty version with almond flour.

Dinner that day was as simple as you see here.
I just couldn't muster the energy to make anything elaborate.

It's not laziness.
Just getting it ready is an accomplishment, I'm doing great!

I cooked the wings in the air fryer to crisp them up while draining the fat.
My husband had his with salt and pepper, and I had mine with salt and black shichimi.

▼ I link to this all the time, but it really is delicious ✨️

There are still cherries left on the tree, but I'm going to turn a blind eye and let them become nutrients for the garden.

Hoping for another delicious harvest next year!

Thank you very much for reading until the end 🍒

▼ This is a magazine about handmade sweets sent from France.

▼ This is a magazine about everyday home cooking. There's French food, but I'm open to anything, from Japanese to Western fusion!

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