• See our cheese ice cream recipes.
• Read our Cheese Glossary: lots of great information about cheese.
• Check out our favorite gourmet ice cream brands.

The FDA’s Standard of Identity defines maraschino cherries as “cherries which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor.” You know how that turned out.

Now you can bring peace of mind to parents and happiness of palate to hot fudge sundaes and Shirley Temples, not to mention adult fare like a Tom Collins or a Manhattan. Tillen Farms all-natural Merry Maraschino Cherries are the way to go with maraschino, made only with cherries, water, sugar, vegetable and fruit concentrate (for color) and natural flavor.

The cherries are $6.99 for a 14-ounce jar. If you want to buy a 12-jar case for gifts, stocking stuffers, etc., the price goes down to $6.39 per jar. You can purchase Merry Maraschinos online at TillenFarms.com. Individual bottles are available at fine food stores nationwide. The product is gluten free.
 
 
MARASCHINO CHERRIES FOR ADULTS

If you happen to have some cherry liqueur/kirsch, drain 10%-20% of the liquid from the jar and replace it with liqueur. The kids may not like it, but you will. Brandy works, too.

Life can be a bowl of maraschino cherries.
Photo courtesy Tillen Farms.

The ubiquitous maraschino cherries were once quite elite.

The Marasca cherry (Prunus cerasus var. marasca) is a type of sour Morello cherry that grows largely in Bosnia, Croatia, Herzegovina, northern Italy and Slovenia.

With a bitter taste and a drier pulp than other cherry varieties, they are ideal to make cherry (maraschino) liqueur. The cherries were originally preserved in the liqueur as a delicacy for royalty and the wealthy.

In the 19th century, the preserved cherries became popular in the rest of Europe, but the Balkans supply was too small for the whole. Hence they became a pricey delicacy, largely confined to royalty and the wealthy.

Because of the relative scarcity of the Marasca tree, other cherries came to be preserved in various ways and sold as “maraschino,” leading to the red-dyed version we have come to know, with no liqueur but plenty of corn syrup.

The Marasca cherry tree is very fussy about where it will grow, so in the U.S., the Royal Ann cherry variety is used to make “maraschino” cherries.

Have some watermelon…cookie. Photo by
Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

That’s where Fancypants steps in. Their decorated cookies are as beautiful and varied as any bakery’s, but they’ve improved upon the bland sugar cookie by baking rich, buttery shortbread. We hoarded the entire box!

Because the Fancypants co-founders are former educators (a middle school teacher and an education researcher, both with masters’ degrees), they know about kids and nut allergies. So their bakery is 100% nut-free. But these are welcome gifts for nut-eating grownups too. There are cookie themes for everyone, from sports to animals to baby, wedding, holiday and custom-decorated cookies for corporate logos.

• Read the full review of Fancypants shortbread cookies.
• Find more of our favorite cookies.

Olives are full of olive oil, a heart-healthy fat. We tried the Italian-seasoned olives. The olive meat is mild, but the notes of garlic and oregano made these a tasty little snack. The brine isn’t salty but it’s very flavorful; we poured it over our salad.

For a retailer near you, see the store locator on LindsayOlives.com; or you can buy them from Lindsay’s online store. Six four-pack cartons are $14.99. The olives are certified kosher by OU.

• See more of our favorite healthy snacks.
• Check out Sonoma Farm Olives, a great gourmet olive line.
• For more information about olives and olive oil, see our Culinary Oils Section and our Olives & Olive Oil Glossary.

Healthy olives, garlic and oregano: much
better than the candy machine. Photo by
Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

Popeye ate spinach because it made him strong: It’s a very good source of dietary fiber and protein, lots of vitamins (A, B6, C, E [alpha tocopherol], K, folate, riboflavin, thiamin), calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and potassium…and a good source of niacin and zinc.

On top of the nutrition, spinach makes a wonderful salad.

Here’s a recipe idea:

COMBINE baby spinach with Granny Smith apples, pecans or walnuts (toast them briefly for even more flavor) and goat cheese or blue cheese.

MAKE a perfect dressing from fig balsamic vinegar and olive oil; add halved fresh figs as a garnish.

ADD protein for a main meal with Serrano ham or prosciutto, or grilled salmon.

SERVE fine artisan bread on the side (look for semolina raisin) for fun, a flavored butter.

Popeye never ate so well!

Spinach salad with goat cheese, toasted walnuts (photo © Evolution Fresh).