There are few things sweeter in life than fresh fruit when it’s in season. And while some fruits like apples and raspberries are available and pretty good all year round, there are some that are hard to find unless they are in season. Take cherries, for instance! You’d be hard-pressed to find this stone fruit outside the freezer section in the fall and winter.
So when it is cherry season, you want to buy them and savor every sweet bite. But, like most other fresh produce, not all cherries are created equal. Have you ever bitten into a cherry and found that it was mushy, or worse, tasted like nothing at all? What a disappointment! You want to know how to tell if cherries are sweet before you buy them, so you won’t be let down.
Of course, you can try one first. Most farmers’ markets will let you sample the goods. And let’s be honest, who hasn’t snuck a bite of something at the supermarket? But there are other ways to tell if cherries are ripe and sweet enough. You just need to use your other senses! Read on for more tips.
How to Choose Sweet Cherries
Perhaps a better way to phrase this is “how to choose flavorful cherries,” since there are both sour and sweet cherries. And you want your sour cherries to be ripe and flavorful, too! They are excellent for making pie, for example. Either way, you can use these methods for both.
1. Check for dark, rich skin color.
There are many common types of cherries, and they aren’t all the same color. But you want to look for bright, rich colors regardless, because more color indicates a higher sugar count. Bing and Chelan cherries should be dark red, while Rainier should have a reddish-pink shading on their yellow skin. The skins should be smooth, shiny, and taut.
2. Look at their stems, too.
Ripe, sweet cherries will have green, fresh-looking stems. Browning, woody, or missing stems indicate cherries that may be past their prime. Stems should also be plump (as far as thin stems go, of course), much like the fruit itself.
3. Gently squeeze them for firmness.
You don’t have to manhandle the fruit, but definitely give a few a gentle squeeze. The fruit should be plump and firm with a slight give and then bounce back when pressed with your fingers. If they feel mushy or have wrinkled skins, pass on that batch. That means they are old or overripe.
How to Store Fresh Cherries
Now that you’ve gone through all that testing, you should know how to store cherries to keep them as fresh and as sweet as possible. First, store them unwashed. If you wash and then store them, that will speed up decomposition. So, you’re better off washing them right before eating/using them.
When you get home, look for and discard any bruised or damaged fruit. Then store your cherries in a breathable container like a perforated plastic bag or an uncovered bowl lined with paper towels. Stash them in a cold part of your fridge—the crisper drawer is a perfect place. Just keep them away from strong odors like garlic and onions. Your cherries should last up to ten days and still taste as sweet as you hoped!
