Sweet cherries, such as Bing, stay fresh for about two to three weeks in the refrigerator, and sour cherries, such as Montmorency or Early Richmond, last about three to seven days. Both types may retain their quality for several months in commercial cold storage. Discard cherries soon if they’re soft, mushy, bruised, or discolored.
Do cherries need to be refrigerated?
If you are planning on storing your cherries for more than a few hours, you should put them in the refrigerator so they will not go bad. It is important not to wash your cherries before refrigerating them, but rather right before you are going to eat them.
How do you keep cherries fresh for a long time?
Cold storage is key to keeping cherries fresh. According to a cherry expert we spoke to, cherries can lose more quality in one hour at room temperature than a day in the refrigerator. Thus, get your cherries in the fridge as soon as possible, preferably wrapped in a plastic bag.
How long do cherries last?
Thus, they should be kept away from liquids at all costs. It is also recommended by many food professionals that you wait until right before using or serving cherries to wash them. Freshly picked or bought cherries last only about two days at room temperature.
Can you freeze sour cherries?
Similarly, whole pitted sour cherries can be frozen with ¾ of a cup of sugar for every quart of cherries. Carefully stir the cherries and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and then place in freezing containers. Leave about ½ an inch of headspace in airtight containers or to remove as much as possible from plastic freezer bags.
Cherries are a popular fruit because of their fresh sweet taste and ease of preparation – they can be eaten right off the stem (after rinsing of course) or used in hundreds of different ways including baked goods. Cherries come in different varieties, the most common being Bing cherries.
Wash them with cold water just before eating. Avoid washing prior to storage, as moisture can be absorbed where the stem meets the fruit and lead to splits or spoilage. Cherries can also be frozen. Pit them if you wish, or keep them whole with stems intact.
How can you tell if a cherry is fresh?
First off, you should see if the stems are still connected to the cherries. Generally cherries with stems attached are fresher than cherries without stems. If the cherries you are looking at do have stems, check their color. Bright green stems signal cherry health and freshness.