Rosenberg Organic Sour Cherry. Organic fruit spread made from sour cherries – fruity and tart, with many small pieces of fruit and little added sugar.
Rosenberg Organic Sour Cherry is an organic fruit spread made from sour cherries from the Stadtgut Görlitz, cooked by Rosenberg Delikatessen in Leipzig. Each 100 g contains 74 g of fruit, plus cane sugar and apple pectin. The jar contains 170 g.
Sour Cherry by Rosenberg is deliberately called a fruit spread. The reason lies in the Jam Ordinance: according to the manufacturer, what is classified as marmalade or jam there requires at least 55% sugar. Matthias Rosenberg takes a different approach. His spreads have a high fruit content and little added sugar, and are sweetened with cane sugar from certified organic cultivation. In the case of the sour cherry, this specifically means: for every 100 g of spread, there are 74 g of fruit. As a result, the acidity of the cherry remains noticeable, and that is precisely what makes it so appealing. Instead of a uniformly sweet mass, you get a spread that actually tastes like fruit. You can already see the small pieces of cherry when spreading it on your knife. The manufacturer calls the Sour Cherry a classic in their range, and for us, it is the top seller among the Rosenberg jars.
Taste
The Sour Cherry tastes balanced, fruity and tart, as the manufacturer describes it. The sweetness takes a back seat; the cherry is at the forefront. With the first bite, you notice the typical acidity of the sour cherry, which keeps the mouth feeling fresh. This is followed by a rounded fruit note that is reminiscent of homemade stewed cherries, just with less sugar.
Typical of this spread are the many small pieces of fruit. They give it texture and something to chew on, while it remains easy to spread. It is bound with apple pectin, a gelling agent derived from apples. The consistency is softer than that of a firm jam, and the knife glides easily through the jar. On warm toast, it sinks in a little; on cold bread, it stays put.
Because the fruit plays the leading role, the spread tastes vibrant and bright. Anyone accustomed to sweet cherry jam from a supermarket shelf who expects exactly that will initially find the Sour Cherry too tart. After a few breakfasts, many no longer want to be without this exact freshness.
The reason sour cherries fit so well into a spread is simple. You prefer to eat sweet cherries fresh from the tree, whereas sour cherries have always been the cherries of choice for stewing, baking, and juicing. Their strong acidity carries through the cooking process and keeps the flavor clear. It is precisely this property that Rosenberg uses when he cooks the fruits with comparatively little cane sugar.
Use
You will enjoy the Sour Cherry in the most classic way: on a fresh bread roll with butter or on a slice of rye bread on a Sunday morning. Its acidity pairs particularly well with creamy companions like butter, quark, or cream cheese. A nice breakfast combination is a chocolate spread alongside it. Cherry and chocolate are a proven pair—just think of Black Forest cake.
The jar is also versatile in the kitchen. Stir two spoonfuls into plain yogurt or skyr, and your breakfast gets a splash of color. For semolina pudding, rice pudding, or pancakes, it takes on the role of cherry compote. It works just as well as a filling for Swiss rolls, muffins, or cookies as it does as a thin layer between two cake layers. Savory works too: a spoonful of Sour Cherry in gravy for duck or game adds fruit and acidity to the plate.
Because Rosenberg avoids preservatives, the opened jar belongs in the refrigerator. The manufacturer recommends using it up within 5 to 7 days. At 170 g, that is easily manageable at a breakfast table with two or three people.
Our tip: Warm Kaiserschmarrn with a dollop of Sour Cherry and a little powdered sugar. The acidity cuts through the buttery dough, and the cherry topping is taken care of instantly.
Origin
The sour cherries for this jar grow in the orchard of the Stadtgut Görlitz in Upper Lusatia. This is typical for Rosenberg: the fruits come from small, organic-certified orchards and meadow orchards in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. Only the bitter oranges for another spread travel from Spain or Italy. According to the company, if a harvest fails, they shift to other growing regions.
It is cooked in Leipzig. Matthias Rosenberg founded his small organic manufactory in the autumn of 2016; it all started with a quince harvest. Today, he processes the fruits in a kitchen at the Leipzig Kesselkollektiv. The fruit spreads are hand-stirred there. According to the manufacturer, the recipes come from their own development and family traditions. Within Leipzig, the company prefers to travel by cargo bike. Those living nearby can also visit the manufactory. Every first Friday of the month, there is a factory sale at Klingenstraße 22 from 2:30 pm to 6 pm, with tours at 3 pm and 4 pm.
Rosenberg is organic-certified; the inspection body bears the number DE-ÖKO-060. Sour cherries and cane sugar come from certified organic cultivation. The manufacturer states that they do not use artificial flavors or preservatives. According to the list of ingredients, the Sour Cherry does not contain any of the 14 main allergens.
For whom
The Sour Cherry is for everyone who prefers to taste fruit rather than sugar at breakfast. It fits into families where young and old have different preferences because it can be used in versatile ways, from bread rolls to pancakes. As a small gift from Leipzig, it looks great on any breakfast table. Those who enjoy baking cherry cakes or cookies will have a quick filling in their cupboard. More fruity and milder in acidity is the Organic Strawberry from the Obsthof Beerenbunt. Things get spicy and autumnal with the Organic Plum Walnut. You can find all spreads and mustards on our page for Rosenberg Delikatessen. It is not suitable for anyone looking for a very sweet, firm jam.
Sour cherries from Görlitz, cooked in Leipzig into an organic fruit spread – a jar for everyone who wants to taste the fruit at breakfast.
