Local source of sour cherries for kriek?

[admin]

Looking for sour cherries for a kriek, and I read this. Nearly in tears here!

"the native cherry tree, Prunus avium, naturally produces rather small and sour cherries. These cherries are not usually harvested in Ireland, typically being left to the birds"

http://www.theapplefarm.com/cherries.htm

[lordstilton]

Loads of them about the place.. So these are perfect then?

[Eoin]

You want it sour cherries of some sort. If it's for barrel project #2 2014 then you can buy tins of them.

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[Eoin]

Fairly pronto? Have you checked when they normally enter the process?

[lordstilton]

There's plenty of them around palmerstown.. We use to eat them as kids.. If it's the same ones.. They won't be about till the autumn

[lordstilton]

Just had a look there and there the same ones.. Woodfarm acres in palmerstown is lined with them.

[imark]

Just had a look there and there the same ones.. Woodfarm acres in palmerstown is lined with them.

Seriously? along the street?

[imark]

Also will you pick me up another bag of wheat?

I've loads of flaked barley if you want some. Will be using it instead of wheat in a lambic in about 2 weeks.

[lordstilton]

https://maps.google.ie/maps?q=woodfarm+acres+palmerstown&hl=en-IE&ll=53.353314,-6.378894&spn=0.000002,0.001629&gbv=2&hnear=Woodfarm+Acres,+Dublin,+County+Dublin&gl=ie&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=53.353314,-6.378894&panoid=EtjYlCC3DMZe1zxmY_bWKw&cbp=12,313.37,,0,6.31 this is one of the trees I've eaten them off...The next area to palmerstown in cherry orchard so there probably left over from the time the area had orchards in it...Mill lane in palmerstown has loads of them too...I'll ask the old man during the week if that what they are..everything i'm seeing suggest they are...I ate loads as a kid and always liked them

[imark]

Excellent. That looks promising. Were they sour though?

[lordstilton]

We always ate them when they were deep red almost black as they were too sour when they were red

[imark]

Very interesting. I'll be meeting up with you for a dawn raid in Aug/Sep.

[Eoin]

Unripe cherries and sour cherries are not the same thing. Normal cherries can be medicinal once fermented out.

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[Eoin]

Jeez lads we could make an all-Irish kriek, and call it kraic for the, eh,

Just check the variety. If you've ever thought that cherry flavour is very artificial growing up, well that's actually sweet cherry extract, it just is artificial tasting once the sugar is gone. That's why sour varieties are chosen.

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[imark]

I agree Eoin. How can one tell if they're sour cherries or just unripe sweet cherries when you're picking them?