Cherries are delicious, sweet but slightly tart fruits that you can use to garnish a drink, eat them as they are, or use in many other ways. Getting cherries isn't difficult! You just need to carefully examine them for any flaws, bad coloring and check their consistency. Once you have your cherries, you need to choose a correct way to store them.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Get the Cherries
Step 1. Choose how to get them
You need to determine how to get cherries. At an orchard you will generally find the cooler ones, but you can also try the local fruit and vegetable market. However, if it's not the right season, you won't be able to get cherries this way and you'll have to go to a grocery store or supermarket.
If you decide to go to an orchard, pick cherries directly from the trees. It's simple, just grab them between your thumb and forefinger and gently detach them from the branch. Then, put them in a container
Step 2. Check the peel
The quality of the peel usually indicates how fresh a cherry is. Look for cherries with firm, shiny skin. Look at them all carefully to make sure there are no imperfections. Also touch them to test their consistency - they should be firm to the touch.
- Avoid cherries that are too soft - they are usually not fresh. Also, if they show signs near the petiole, they may not be as fresh as they appear.
- This can also depend on the type of cherry; those of the Rainier variety, for example, are not as firm as the others. Take this into consideration when doing your checks.
Step 3. Look at the stalks
First of all you should check if they are still attached to the cherries (generally the ones that still have the stem are fresher). If the cherries you are looking at have stalks, check their color - it should be a nice bright green.
Step 4. Observe the color
You don't necessarily have to look for a particular shade of red, but determine the overall concentration of this color. Darker cherries are usually fresher than light ones.
Method 2 of 3: Storing the Cherries
Step 1. Avoid direct sunlight
Unless you intend to dehydrate them, cherries should be stored in a cool dark place away from sunlight. Exposure to the sun shrinks and wrinkles them, compromising their flavor.
Step 2. Keep them cold
Cherries stay fresh at low temperatures. Store them at room temperature for only a very short period of time. To keep them fresh you should refrigerate them; you simply need to put them in a resealable plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for 3-5 days, but also up to two weeks.
If you store cherries at room temperature you should consume them immediately, within 2 days at the latest. Make sure you wash and dry them before eating them
Step 3. Keep them separate from other foods
Cherries can acquire flavor from other foods in your refrigerator. Therefore, if you don't want them to taste like garlic or stew, store them in a space that doesn't contain strong smelling foods.
For this purpose, be sure to keep the cherries in closed containers or plastic bags. This will make it more difficult for them to get contaminated by smelly objects in your refrigerator
Step 4. Freeze the cherries
Freezing cherries will ensure that they keep their freshness and flavor for a long time. First of all, decide if you want to pit them (not necessary, but some prefer to do so). After making this decision, you just need to prepare the fruits. Take a baking sheet, cover it with a layer of cherries and place it in the freezer. After an hour, take it out and put the fruit in a couple of bags; make sure they are completely hard before doing this.
When putting cherries in bags, be sure to let out as much air as possible to avoid freeze burns. Cherries frozen in this way can be stored for up to a year
Method 3 of 3: Dehydrate the Cherries
Step 1. Preheat the oven
While preparing the cherries for drying, turn on the oven and set the temperature to 75 ° C to preheat it. It will not take long.
Step 2. Clean the cherries
Wash them thoroughly in water at room temperature, then dry them with paper towels.
Step 3. Prepare the cherries
Place the cherries on a baking sheet. Make sure you leave about an inch of space between one and the other.
Step 4. Place the cherries in the oven
Lower the oven temperature to 57 ° C, then put the pan with the cherries in it and wait about six hours. When they are ready they will resemble raisins; let them cool, then put them in special containers and store them in the freezer.
