Cherries are a delicious fruit that is often found in desserts such as pies and cobblers.
The cherry season typically lasts from the beginning of June until early July.
Cherries have some unique properties that make them perfect for cooking with this time of year.
In this article, we will cover how long cherries last, how to store them properly, and how they can be used in cooking.
What are Cherries?
Cherries are a type of fruit classified as an accessory fruit because it’s not sweet on their own, but they’re often mixed with other types of fruits to make them sweeter.
Cherries can be eaten dried for snacks or soaked in alcohol for some delicious cocktails.
They come from the Cherry tree, and there are many different varieties in existence today.
The most common variety of cherries is Prunus Cerasus which is also known as Sour cherries due to their sour taste when ripe.
Sour cherries are most commonly used to make pies because they provide a tangy taste and texture.
Cherry trees can grow up to 30 feet tall, but their average height is about 20-25 feet from the ground.
Cherries come in many different colors, including red, black, purple, green, yellow, and white.
The Cherry tree was first domesticated by wild populations found around Central Asia when people began cultivating them for food purposes over 5000 years ago.
The cherry fruit has been grown throughout history as a delicacy due to its sweetness and unique flavor varieties that cannot be matched by any other type of fruit or vegetable on earth.
You can buy cherries at any grocery store, but they are most commonly found in the produce department.
How to Use Cherries in Recipes?
Cherries are a delicious addition to many dishes, but how can you incorporate them into your cooking routine? Here are some ideas:
- Use cherries in salads with spinach and arugula. Mix them for an extra burst of flavor.
- Add cherries to a cheese tray with prosciutto.
- Combine sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon for the perfect cherry pie filling.
- Serve fresh cherries on top of ice cream for an extra sweet treat.
- Pair them with white cheddar and walnuts as appetizers before dinner. Cherries are also great in salads during lunchtime or as side dishes alongside salmon.
- Add dried cherries to trail mix for a nutritious snack that’s easy to carry when you’re on the go too.
These are just a few of the many ways to use cherries in recipes.
Due to their acidic and sweet flavors, cherries are a versatile fruit incorporated into many different dishes.
Cherries are delicious cooked as well as eaten raw, so don’t forget about them when you’re in the kitchen.
How to Store Cherries?
Cherries are delicious and refreshing fruit that can be eaten raw or cooked.
Growing cherries in your backyard is an easy task.
Cherries are also more likely to ripen longer if stored at room temperature, unlike other fruits like apples which need cool storage conditions for the best results.
The following steps detail how to store cherries:
- Pick the cherries when they’re fully ripe to ensure that you get the perfect sweet and juicy flavor.
- Cherries should be stored at room temperature for about a week before eating them or cooking with them.
- If there are any leftover cherries, store them in an airtight container to keep the fruit from spoiling quickly due to their high sugar content, which attracts bacteria rapidly once cut open.
- To preserve your fresh cherries over winter without needing artificial cooling methods like refrigeration, freeze some of your harvests by placing whole pitted fruits into a plastic bag inside your freezer.
- When you’re ready to use the frozen cherries, remove them from their plastic bag and thaw them by placing them in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes before using or cooking with them.
- Cherries can be preserved whole without freezing by drying or making preserves like jams, syrups, jellies, etc., which will last indefinitely when stored correctly.
Another option is canning cherries, but only if you have the proper equipment and skills to do so safely.
How Long Do Cherries Last?
Cherries are fruit that can be eaten fresh or cooked.
They are low in calories and high in fiber, vitamin A, potassium, iron, magnesium, and copper.
Like most fruits, cherries can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator, which will last about ten days.
It’s best to consume cherries as soon as possible after they are picked to avoid spoilage.
If the cherries are left out at room temperature for too long, they will eventually spoil and rot in their skin or get moldy on the inside of their flesh which can cause stomach upset.
When stored in a refrigerator, it’s best not to keep them longer than two weeks since these fruits have low levels of acidity and sugar, which make them more prone to microbial growth when chilled.
Always keep cherries in the airtight container or place them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
If you have to keep cherries for more than a few days, it’s best to wash and dry them before storing them in the fridge.
If you want to extend the storage time of cherries, you can freeze them.
To do this, first, wash the fruit thoroughly and dry it before removing any stems or leaves.
Then put each cherry on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer as close together as possible without touching one another.
Put the pan into your freezer for about 45 minutes to an hour until they’re firm enough that they won’t stick to each other when touched by hand.
Once frozen, transfer the cherries from their parchment papers onto a large Ziploc baggie with all air squeezed out, so they are not touching but still in individual packets inside.
Label with date and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Tell if Cherries are Bad?
Fruits are a common part of the human diet.
Fruits are great for people’s health because they contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help keep the body healthy and fight off free radicals.
And cherries are no exception.
Cherries are a very healthy fruit because they contain high amounts of vitamin C, essential for fighting off the common cold and flu viruses.
So you might be wondering how to tell if cherries are bad or not? Here are a few tips.
First, look at the color of the cherry – if it has an unnatural or dark shade of red, then that is an indication that it might be bad.
Next, check for any signs of mold on the surface and around where you cut off the stem from your cherries (the stem).
If there is no sign of the mold, but there are visible scratch marks next to the stem, this can also indicate that they have been tampered with.
Before eating them, the next thing to consider would be how these cherries feel when pressed between your fingers.
If they leave behind too much moisture, then that can be another sign they are bad.
Finally, smell them.
If they have an off-putting odor, then it is best to throw out the fruit.
If you have any other signs or symptoms that you can confirm the cherry is bad, it would be best to discard them.
Conclusion
Cherries are a healthy, delicious treat that can be enjoyed for months after their purchase.
If you store them properly and don’t let the fruit go bad by eating it too quickly or letting other foods touch them, cherries will stay fresh on your kitchen countertop for up to 10 days before they start to spoil.
Be sure not to wash these fruits until you want to eat them, as wetness reduces shelf life significantly.
Cherries should also be kept away from other products with strong odors like onions or garlic because this may cause mold growth over time in the cherry container.
How Long Do Cherries Last? Do Cherries Go Bad?
Ingredients
- Cherries
- Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
- Labels and markers
Instructions
- Read the guide thoroughly to learn how long it lasts.
- Label your container with the content and date and keep track of how much youu0026#x27;re using!
- Make sure to store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (pantry or fridge).
- If frozen, thaw in the fridge before use. Always check for signs of spoilage before using.
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