How to Store Cherries to Keep Them Sweet and Fresh

Plump, sweet cherries are one of life's simple (and greatest) pleasures—eating a bowlful at a sitting is not difficult. But these glorious little stone fruits have a short season, so it’s important to know how to store cherries so you can enjoy them for as long as possible while they’re around. Thankfully, buying cherries and storing them isn’t complicated—so you'll be able to focus your attention on savoring them. Follow our tips for buying the best cherries and storing them properly, and make sure to eat as many as you can during cherry season.

How to Choose Good Cherries

Choosing the freshest cherries is the first step in being able to store them for longer. Whether you shop for cherries at a farmstand or in the grocery store, you're looking for the same things:

Fresh cherries are plump and shiny, never dull. When choosing cherries to buy, cast your eye critically across those shiny bodies. You are looking for smooth fruit with taut, glossy skin and no splits, pockmarks, or wrinkles.

• Sour cherries have softer bodies than other types—that is normal.
• Rainier cherries, yellow with blushed cheeks, can sometimes have brown specks on their skins, but this does not affect their quality.
• If you choose red cherries, an evenly saturated color indicates a good fruit.
  

How to Store Cherries

It may be tempting to display a beautiful bowl of cherries on a countertop (or in another photo-worthy spot), but that is the worst way to keep these precious fruits fresh. At room temperature, cherries deteriorate quickly: They will remain plump for a few days before losing their sheen and turning flaccid.

Instead, keep the cherries in the refrigerator. They are curiously impervious to being stored uncovered, so you do not have to wrap or seal them—in fact, if you do keep cherries tightly sealed, moisture will accumulate, and this will hasten their demise. So you can keep that pretty bowl of cherries in your refrigerator.

If a bowl is unwieldy in your refrigerator, store the cherries in an uncovered and more ergonomic container in the crisper drawer. An open bag will also work just fine. Whatever you do, don't place anything else on top of them: These beauties need to breathe.

How Long Cherries Last: Kept uncovered and dry, cold cherries will keep fresh for at least a week, and sometimes much longer.

When You Should Wash Cherries

You may want to wash cherries when you bring them home—but don't. The moisture that lingers in the hollow at their stem ends (which are difficult to dry thoroughly) will encourage mold or rot. All you need to do before transferring the cherries to the refrigerator is to pick them over and remove any that are damaged. If the cherries have stems, do not remove them until you are ready to eat the fruit.

How to Wash Cherries

Do be sure to wash your cherries before eating them—but only just before. They are usually sprayed and a thorough washing will help.

1. Swoosh them in a large bowlful of cold water, rubbing their skins with your fingers.
2. Rinse in a colander under a running tap.
   

How to Freeze Cherries

Cherries freeze well, and freezing them is a way to extend the pleasure of their brief season or make the most of a farmers market glut. You can freeze them as is or remove their pits first. Bear in mind that thawed, softer cherries are harder to pit, unless you work them through a food mill. Once thawed, you'll find that they are wonderful for baking, cooking, jamming, and ice cream.

How to Revive Cherries

If your cherries start to lose their firmness but are still good to eat, try reviving them with a quick soak. Place them in a bowl of ice water for 10 to 15 minutes. This trick will often perk them up, refreshing them to improve the texture. These slightly soft cherries are also excellent for sauces, compotes, or spooned over ice cream.