Pitters and seed spitters, rejoice! Cherries are here. There’s something simply perfect about enjoying a bowl of chilled cherries. If you have any left, bake them into pies, add them to salads, cook them into sauces, blend and freeze them for popsicles, slice them and top yogurt parfaits or pancakes. Plus, cherries are a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C.
How to Pick a Sweet Cherry
- Check the stems. Fresh cherries have green stems.
- Give them a feel. Cherries should be firm, no soft spots or bruising.
- Look for the good color. Depending on variety, ideally they should be deep, bright red to mahogany.
- Give them the once over. Fruit should be free of insect damage and pitting (little indentations caused by dehydration)
- Give them a taste. If you can sample before purchasing, do it!
Store unwashed cherries in the refrigerator. Cherries can last up to a week after purchase, but eat them as soon as possible for the best results. They can be washed in larger batches if needed, but it’s best to just wash the amount you plan to use. To freeze cherries, allow washed and stemmed cherries to dry completely, then pit the cherries and place in resealable plastic freezer bags.
Don’t let the need to pit deter you from using this sweet fruit in cooking and baking. If you need the whole cherry (and don’t have a cherry pitter), a chopstick or straw is great for pushing out the pit in the same manner as a cherry pitter. If you don’t need the whole cherry, simply cut around the stemmed cherry with a paring knife and twist the fruit off the pit as you would with larger stone fruits like peaches and plums.
4 Ways to Make the Most of Cherries
1.Smoothie
Almond milk, creamy almond butter and sweet cherries provide both carbohydrates and protein, everything you need to start your morning right.
2. Salad
Add cherries to grain salads or salad dressing for a taste of sweetness.
3. Salsa
Make fresh cherry salsa for grilled fish, chicken, pork, tofu or tempeh.
4. Dip
Blend pitted cherries with silken tofu for an easy creamy dip to serve alongside summer’s fruit
RECIPE – RAW CHERRY CRISP WITH CHIA AND DATES
Sweet cherries get a flavorful topping made from dates, almonds and nutritious chia seeds. This is a superb fresh dessert, yet it is healthful enough to serve for snacks.
Ingredients:
2 pounds (about 8 cups) cherries, pitted and quartered
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 T. orange juice, divided
1 cup pitted dates
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup chia seeds
Preparation:
- Toss cherries with vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice. Spoon into an 8-inch-square dish and smooth the top.
- In a food processor, combine dates, almonds, chia seeds and cinnamon and process until coarsely ground.
- Pour in remaining 1 tablespoon orange juice and pulse until combined.Spoon chia mixture evenly over the top of cherries and serve, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
