Cherry Tips

Storing Cherries

Cherries are a sweet and delicious treat! Enjoy them at perfection by following these simple storage tips:

• Store cherries uncovered in the coldest part of the refrigerator. When kept refrigerated, fresh cherries will keep for up to 10 days.
• Avoid storing cherries near strong-smelling food items. The taste of your cherries will be altered if they pick up these scents.
• Preserve cherries by rinsing them under cold water only when you are ready to use or eat them.
• Avoid placing cherries near windows, sunlit areas or other warm areas for a prolonged period of time. Warm environments cause cherries to deteriorate quickly.
• Periodically check your cherries for decay. Remove rotten cherries immediately in order to preserve the rest of your bag or clam.

Freezing Cherries

Cherries don’t have to be just a summertime treat! Here are two easy methods for freezing cherries, so that you can enjoy this tasty fruit no matter what time of the year it is:

Freezing Method #1 – Whole cherries with stems

1. Rinse fresh cherries under cold water. Drain thoroughly.
2. Spread cherries, with stems intact, in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Freeze cherries until firm.
4. Pack frozen cherries into a plastic freezer bag or like container. Remove excess air, seal and freeze. Be sure to label each bag with the date you put them in the freezer.
5. Remove your frozen cherries as needed, but be sure to return unused cherries to the freezer immediately.

Freezing Method #2 – Dry Sugar Pack

1. Rinse fresh cherries under cold water. Drain thoroughly.
2. Add 1/3 cup of granulated sugar for each 2 cups of unpitted sweet cherries. Toss lightly to coat the cherries. Spread cherries, with stems intact, in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Freeze cherries until firm.
4. Fill plastic freezer bags or like container with cherries.Shake the bag periodically to pack the fruit down. Repeat until bag is almost full.
5. Remove excess air, seal and place in freezer. Be sure to label each bag with the date you put them in the freezer.
6. Remove your frozen cherries as needed, but be sure to return unused cherries to the freezer immediately.

Note: Sweet cherries can keep for up to one year in the freezer

Pitting Cherries

If you are preparing a delicious recipe with cherries, you may want to remove the pit. How do you pit cherries? Follow one of these methods below:

Pitting Method #1 – By hand

1. Rinse cherries under cold water, and remove the stem.
2. Take an unused, standard-size paper clip and separate the two curved ends. This creates a flat ‘S’ shape.
3. Take the end that best fits the size of your cherry, and push it into the stem end of the cherry.
4. Once the paper clip reaches the end of the cherry pit, twist the paper clip and pop out the pit.

Pitting Method #2 – With a cherry pitter

1. Rinse cherries under cold water, and remove the stem.
2. Place the cherry on the curved part of the pitter, underneath the spike.
3. Squeeze the pitter so that the spike goes through the cherry, forcing out the pit.
4. Double check to make sure the pit has exited the cherry.