How to Make Cherry Salsa - Bing Bling!

The early spring cherry tree blooms have all blossomed, but what remains is a bountiful crop of delightful bing cherries, ripe and ready for use in your entertaining menus. Bling! Bling! Here's a great recipe for cherry salsa full of flavor, nutrients and zip!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 lb. firm, plump bing cherries, stems removed & pitted
• 1/2 cup sweet red jalapeno jelly
• 2 Tablep. minced red onion
• 2 Tablesp. minced fresh cilantro
• 1 teasp. minced fresh jalapeno, or to taste

1. Chop cherries by hand or using a food processor, chop until cherries are in small pieces. Do not over chop cherries.
2. In a medium bowl, gently toss cherries with remaining ingredients.
3. Cover and chill salsa 2 hours, or until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips or spoon over grilled chicken or turkey.

Tips & Warnings

• There are a few ways to pit a cherry - one, with the tip of a small paring knife, cut cherry in half. Using the tip again, gently pry cherry pit out of the fruit. The other method is with a PAPER CLIP!!! "unfold" the paper clip so it resembles a skinny "S". Next, push the corner down into the middle of the cherry until you feel it hit the pit. Hook the corner of the paper clip under the pit and pull it up and out - you'll get it when you try it! Lastly, you can buy a cherry pitter - a small hand held device you "load" with a cherry and just about "hole punch" the pit out.
• WHITE IS NEVER IN SEASON WHEN COOKING WITH CHERRIES!!! I would recommend a nice apron in a luscious burgundy color!