How to Choose Sweet and Ripe Cherries

Cherry season does not last for very long — it’s only from May to August. But this is enough time to not only enjoy these sweet berries but also to turn them into jam, or dry them for the winter.

5-Minute Crafts is going to tell you everything you need to know when choosing cherries and share tips on how to store them.

How to choose cherries

When choosing cherries, pay attention to these things:

• Look for cherries with stems. It’s thanks to the stems that the cherries remain juicy for a longer period of time.
• Look at the stem color: bright green stems mean the cherries are still fresh.
• The cherries should be firm and big with shiny skin and a rich color (the color itself is not always an indicator of quality since different varieties have different hues).
• Avoid the berries with dark spots and wrinkled skin.

• If possible, taste the cherries before buying them. Unripe cherries are sour. The damaged spots are watery and unpleasant. Ripe cherries are juicy and have a sweet taste.

How to store cherries

Before serving the cherries, wash them, and carefully put them on kitchen or paper towels to dry them. Water can make the taste less rich.

Eat the cherries as fast as possible after washing them, or they will go bad (this is why you shouldn’t wash them in advance or buy them washed). Don’t remove the stems.

If you are not going to eat the cherries right away, don’t wash them and don’t remove the stems. Put them into a paper bag or a container, and place them in the fridge. You can store cherries like this for several days.

Fresh cherries can be frozen for a longer time. Wash them, dry them, remove the pits, and put them in a Ziploc bag and into the freezer. You can store them for up to a year.