What exactly are Bordeaux Cherries, and what products can I find them
in, or can I even find the directly, to puchase on the internet?

Bordeaux cherries, just as Maraschino cherries, are cherries which
have been treated to provide a specific taste and look.  They are made
with dark cherries, corn syrup, flavorings, and food color, along with
preservatives and other additives which vary with the manufacturer.

They are used as a flavoring ingredient in items ranging from ice
cream to Black Forest Cake, and I love them all.  The name Bordeaux
cherry and Burgundy cherry are often interchangable depending on which
appeals to the customer most in the ice cream and dessert market.

A source of information and contact to purchase may be found here:
( http://www.paradigm-web.net/ocg/home.html ) - This is the home page
of the Oregon Cherry Growers Cooperative.  Click on "products" then on
the "ingredient" image to learn a little more about them.  While they
do not have an online catalog, they could perhaps point you to where
you can buy them or maybe sell to you directly.

While I can find sources for Maraschino cherries which can be
purchased in small containers, such as already in your market, the
online sources for Bordeaux cherries are in large container 'lots' for
the commercial dairy and baking industry.

If I can clarify any of the above, please let me know.

Cheers
digsalot

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Request for Answer Clarification by sbbrown-ga on 26 Aug 2002 20:58 PDT

Thank you for the insight!!  However, you just gave me a "taste" of
what I am looking for, and having found only the page from the Cherry
growers in Oregon previously myself, I am still at a loss as to where
to put my hands on some of these tasty treats.  I am inspired to find
these as only "Trader Joes", a medium sized organic-based grocery
chain in the western US, has "Cherry Floes", an ice cream like fruit
bar that has these delectable morsels in them.  Any hope in find a
place to actually buy some?  Bulkfoods.com was my next try, but alas,
no Bordeaux or Burgundy cherries...

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Clarification of Answer by digsalot-ga on 26 Aug 2002 21:27 PDT

Since the Oregon growers seem to be about the only page there is, I
have emailed them to see if they can provide names for some outlets. 
I will let you know what their response is whether good or bad.

If it is good, I will pass it on, along with my favorite Black Forest
cake recipe.  I've always made it just with pie filling cherries.  The
Bordeaux cherries sound like they would give it some added zip.

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Clarification of Answer by digsalot-ga on 28 Aug 2002 11:55 PDT

Hello - I have just emailed them again.  This might be their busy
season and they might be a little behind, but I didn't think a
reminder would hurt.

Here is the promised recipe for when you get them.  And, I'm sure,
somehow or other, you will.

 1 German Chocolate or Devil's Food cake mix - - Eggs and shortening
as called for on the box - - 1/3 cup plus 4 Tablespoons rum.  My
preference in Meyer's Dark - - 1 cup semi-sweet mini-morsels - - 1 can
cherry pie filling, which we are going to replace with an equal amount
of Bordeaux cherries.  (note: - if Bordeaus cherries have a watery
consistancy, thicken them to be what a pie filling would be) - - 1
pint heavy whipping cream - - 1-1/4 cup powdered sugar - - 1-1/2
teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix cake according to directions on the box except substitute 1/3 of
the water with 1/3 cup rum. When mix is prepared, stir in mini
morsels. Bake as usual per box instructions.

Stir 4 Tablespoons rum into cherry pie filling - -  When cake is cool,
use pie filling as filling between cake layers. - -  Try to keep extra
liquid from pie filling away from edge of cake. - -  Whip heavy cream
with vanilla extract and powdered sugar until stiff. - -  Spread over
cooled cake. - - Garnish cake top with shaved chocolate and cocktail
cherries. Refrigerate at least 2 - 3 hours before serving.

Now I want you to make me a promise.  Since, due to our anonymity, you
cannot send me my share of the cake, you must promise me you won't
waste it.  No giving my share to the dog, goldfish, gerbil, or any
other household critter.  You must eat the whole thing yourself :)

Well, what do you know... I live in the Cherry Capital of Oregon (our
public transportation system is even called Cherriots), and about 5
miles from a major cherry processing plant.  As far as I know, this
plant only produces maraschino cherries, but if I get a chance this
week I'll call over and see what their office staff have to say about
these Bordeaux delicacies.  Here's the local popular wisdom about
cherry processing:

The cherries used for maraschinos are called Royal Annes.  These are
beautiful cherries, pale yellow with a pink/red blush; they're
probably the ones pictured on the Oregon Cherry Growers homepage,
though those look "blushier" than I'm used to.  The process for
creating maraschinos removes every molecule of original flavor and
color from the cherry, leaving a blank canvas, if you will, that
accepts new flavors and colors while maintaining very close to the
original texture and form.

I'm interested now in finding out if the popular wisdom is correct!

Since digsalot has found that Bordeaux are made from dark cherries, I
bet they use something like the Van variety, and instead of bleaching
them to death they simply marinate them, if you will, in big vats,
until they are infused with the additional flavor, and richer than
ever. On the other hand, the tendency of dark cherries to turn brown
upon processing, may require that the dark cherries also be bleached,
in which case all the color and flavor of the Bordeaux would be "added
back."

I'll let you know if I learn anything specific; it seems possible that
local specialty "gift foods" retailers would have these in jars.

And digs...I think we're all interested in that cake recipe!  Think I
could use fresh cherries?

AH