11 Must Haves for Baking Cherry Pie

The idea of summer must have influenced the phrase, “Life is a bowl of cherries!” We certainly can’t think of a more pleasant season to share these stone fruits with friends. Eaten alone, chopped in a salad, or preserved as jam, cherries make a sweet (or sour!) addition to your culinary routine. Here, we’ve got a round up of the perfect ingredients for making pie and more…

1. While cherry pie is the quintessential summer dessert, the stone fruit is a versatile ingredient. It can be grilled, sautéed, poached, baked, broiled, glazed, muddled, macerated, and eaten fresh. Our friends at Whole Foods share 10 tips for making the most of stone fruits during the peak season.

2. Treat a pie-loving friend to your homemade dessert and these cheeky vintage forks stamped by Etsy shop WoodenHive.

3. Organic cotton dish towels are a kitchen must have for keeping your baking space clean. Another idea? Create a DIY pie baking kit for friends and family with a summer birthday and include these.

4. Add an inspired pop of color to your kitchen walls with custom paintings by Pratt Creek Art.

5. Donning an apron makes even the “greenest” chefs and bakers feel professional, which of course results in better tasting food. Just kidding! But we do love these classically beautiful aprons from Hedley & Bennett that are handmade in Los Angeles using the highest quality materials.

6. Package your cherry pie — or even fresh fruit in the farmer’s market carton — with charming red and white baker’s twine that’s made in the USA.

7. Dish up dessert with this minimalistic and mod pie server handcrafted in Pennsylvania from sustainably harvested wood.

8. Ensure clean eating by spritzing your cherries with this 100% non-toxic, plant-based Fruit + Veggie Wash, rinsing away pathogens, waxes, dirt, handling oils, and bacteria surface contaminants that are found on conventional and organic produce.

9. Believed discovered by the Romans in 70 BC, cherries are available in many varieties with sweet and sour the most common. They’re a summertime superfood packed with antioxidants, fiber, and potassium. The small fruits are also a good source of vitamin C. And they even contain melatonin, which may help you overcome the dreaded vacation jet lag. To pick the best cherries, choose plump fruit with glossy skin and green stems. Avoid soft, dull, bruised, small, or hard cherries.

10. Cultivate children’s love of food by inviting them to bake with these eco-rolling pins made from FSC Certified North American Birch and finished with all natural beeswax.

11. Display your finished pie or showcase your fruit on a vintage blue milk glass cake stand. Shop your local vintage store, flea market, ebay, or Etsy to find this iconic kitchen accessory.

What are your favorite ways to cook with cherries? Share your tips and recipes below.