Cherry canning and how to get rid of worms

Everyone loves cherries, especially kids. Do you remember climbing trees with your friends when you were kids? Sure you do, but now you can buy good quality cherries in various folk markets. This year is very good for cherries and a good idea is to preserve as many cherries as you can for example, by making marmalades or by canning. These homemade products will certainly come in handy especially in winter, when fresh fruits may be hard to come by, unless you buy various chemical-pumped products in supermarkets. There is a one very unpleasant issue with cherries though. Worms. Many people just do not care or do not look, but before preserving cherries you must get rid of them.

When you eat a worm, nothing happens. It is all protein right?

Few worms should not spoil the fun but some people open each cherry and check for worms. Here is how you can get rid of them before canning.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Soak cherries in water

It is that simple. Get a large container, fill it with clean cold water and pour cherries in. Worms will wait as long as possible but will eventually come out. Best is to soak cherries in the evening and start canning the next morning. All worms should be in the water by now. Some people add a little salt to speed up the process.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Worms are ok if you are making brandy

The cherry worm (Rhagoletis), is the reason why cherries get worms. This pest lays eggs inside unripe green cherries thanks to a very sharp ovipositor and later you see larvae – white worms. You may protect cherries by installing glue boards on the trees in the spring or you may use chemical sprays. There are plenty of them. Just ask a vendor in any garden store.

Source: ceskestavby.cz, ireceptar.cz, abecedazahrady.dama.cz

Preview photo: Radek Štěpán