Maybe it’s their cheerful sheen, their bite size or the fact that they’re often met in a cocktail glass, but you can’t help but smile while you eat a cherry. The fresh fruit are trickier to come by than the sickly sweet glacé variety (those don’t count) but there’s no excuse not to have handfuls of these shiny bonbons when they’re in season.

The bright red pigment in a cherry is thanks to the presence of flavonoids known as anthocyanin glycosides, which are powerful anti-oxidants. They have been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect, and cherry juice is therefore popular amongst sportspeople for the relief of injuries and joint pain.

Cherries are rich in another anti-oxidant, melatonin, which soothes the nervous system and helps to regulate sleep. They are also good source of vitamin C and minerals like iron, potassium, zinc and copper.

Try these quick ideas:
• Cherry coulis and ricotta cheese is an easy and delicious filling for puff pastry triangles or spring rolls.
• Make an interesting summer salad by combining fresh cherries and sliced beetroot with caramelised walnuts. Add dollops of cream cheese and a dressing of red wine vinegar, crushed raspberries, lemon juice, olive oil and walnut oil.
• Cherries and pork go surprisingly well together. Place pitted cherries, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and a stick of cinnamon in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until thick (about 35 minutes). Remove the cinnamon and spoon into a jar. Allow to cool. Spoon the relish over gammon or pork chops.
• Add extra zing to your favourite baked custard or crème brûlée recipe by adding a handful of roughly chopped fresh cherries to the batter before baking.
• Bored with poaching pears in red wine? Try cherries in sparkling wine. Delicious! (Especially if you add extra honey instead of just sugar.)
• Make a beautiful red-hued fruit salad by combining chunks of watermelon, halved cherries and pistachios and topping it with a vanilla syrup and lemon juice.
• For those nights when it’s too hot for coffee at the end of a meal, combine it with dessert to make espresso cherry trifles: mix marsala or Kahlua with sugar and strong coffee in a jug. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Drizzle three quarters of it over sponge cake that has been divided amongst glasses. Top with grated good quality dark chocolate, thick vanilla custard and pitted cherries. Drizzle with the remaining coffee mixture and garnish with a bit of chocolate.

Photograph by Asheligh290