Durone Cherry of Sarzana
Features: Fruit tree ripening in spring, it belongs to the family Drupacee, genus Prunus, species Cerasus. The big-size tree can also reach 15-20m of height when it is adult. The leaves are oval and serrated. The fruit is a dark red, bright, and attractive drupe. The sweet and crunchy pulp is well-adherent to the stone.
Production Area: Municipalities of Val di Magra (La Spezia)
Curiosities: Characterizing the European vegetation since ancient times as wild plants, their cultivation began in Asia Minor, in particular in Cerasunte, a town facing the Black Sea. From here the Latin name of the fruit tree, cerasus. Very appreciated, cherries are rich in vitamins: they are useful to clean the organism and prevent arthritis. There are many varieties, classified according to the taste, sweet or acidulous like sour cherries; or according to the pulp consistency, tender or firm-fleshed like Duroni Sarzanesi, cultivated in the lower Magra Valley for over 40 years. Considering the history of this product, deeply linked to its organoleptic and chemical-physical properties, it involves today a local market.
Recipe: The compact pulp is ideal to prepare cherries in alcohol, jam and, of course, to be eaten fresh.
Cherries preserved in spirit. Ingredients: 1 kilo cherries, 200g sugar, alcohol from liquors, 1/2 cinnamon bar, 5 cloves. Preparation: cut the leaf-stalk in half, wash the cherries, and put them to dry on a cloth for one day. Then put the cherries into a glass vase with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Cover with spirit. Close the vase and store it in a dark place. Do not open before two months.
