*** Pie 1 qt. Bermuda cherries 1 cup water 3 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ginger 1 tsp. lemon juice 2 tblsps. corn starch 1 8-inch pie shell Meringue 2 egg whites 1 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. salt 2 tblsps. sugar 1 tsp. lemon essence TO make pie, wash and pit the cherries. Cook the cherries with water, sugar, salt and ginger until they are tender and but still whole (about 10 minutes).

Thicken the cherries with a paste that has been made of corn starch and a little water. Cook cherries about five minutes more, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice.

When cool, pour cherries into a baked 8-inch pie shell and top with meringue that has been made by beating together all meringue ingredients until meringue is standing in peaks. Bake pie at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until lightly browned (about 10 minutes). Let pie cool and serve.

*** SURINAM CHERRY WALNUT BREAD *** 1 pound margarine 1 cup sugar 2 cups sifted flour 3 tsps. baking powder 1 tsp. cherry or vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 cup Surinam cherries 1 cup chopped walnuts WASH and pit the cherries and press them in a strainer to extract most of the juice. In a mixing bowl, blend soft margarine and sugar. When well blended, add one cup of flour and one egg, mixing thoroughly. Add the second cup of flour and second egg, again mixing thoroughly. Add baking powder and cherry extract. When thoroughly blended, stir in cherries and walnuts.

In a nine-by-five-by-three-inch loaf pan, bake the mixture at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately one hour or until cake tester comes out clean.

Allow bread to cool in pan for about one hour, remove and place on cooling rack. Bread will slice easier on the second day.

*** FLAMING SURINAM CHERRIES *** 2 cups Surinam cherries 1 tblsp. butter Sugar and white rum to taste PLACE butter in a chafing dish and melt. Add pitted Surinam cherries and sugar. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Add white rum and flame. Serve flaming over vanilla ice cream.

*** SURINAM CHERRY JAM *** Surinam cherries, Sugar MEASURE cherries that have been washed and pitted, keeping in mind that every cup of fruit will require one cup of sugar. Place cherries in a bowl, sprinkling the sugar in layers between the fruit. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let stand overnight. Pour the cherries into a pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer until the jam thickens. Pour jam immediately into sterilised jars and seal.

As the sea of red along the Island's roads and pathways suggests, it's cherry season in Bermuda, where the fruit is ripe for picking.

With its distinctive flavour and attractive orange-red colour, the Bermuda cherry (of the ribbed Surinam variety) has always made for excellent pies, preserves and desserts.

Easy to make and delicious, the following are just a few of the locally inspired recipes. Each serves at least ten people.