Out the front of my house is a sizable cherry tree. Its a wilding having sprouted up from a cherry stone no doubt dropped by a bird. The tree wasnt there 5 years ago but is now taller than the house! It fruits little sour cherries which have little flesh on their stones. Not much good for eating, however perfect for flavouring brandy.
Up untill this year the birds have stripped the tree the moment the fruit was ripe leaving none for the brandy jars. This year however I kept a close eye and filled a decent bag in the freezer as soon as they were ‘almost ripe’. I then blended them with some bought sweet cherries, a little sugar and some cheap brandy. They will sit on the fruit in glass till Autumn and then be strained and aged in a stainless steel flagon to mellow till next Christmas when I will bottle it and hopefully get another crop of cherries and start the process again.