When cherries start to go bad, they wrinkle and soften, as pictured below. Rainier cherries should be a bright yellow with blush red.īing cherries picked too soon (left) and perfectly ripe (right) Color: dark sweet cherries should be very dark red or black.If stems are attached, they should be fresh and green-ish (dry or brown stems are a sign they were picked a while ago and won't be as tasty).Plump (wrinkled skin is a sign of decline).Ripe, in-season cherries should have the following characteristics: See what else is in season at the same time: April, May, June, July, and August. This causes a decline in sweetness the longer they are stored, which can be slowed with refrigeration. On top of that, cherries convert their sugars into starch once harvested. When they are picked early, they don't have a much time to develop a full flavor or get really sweet. That being said, cherries only ripen on the tree. This means you should be able to find high quality cherries in any part of the country. They actually ship quite well, unlike other stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, etc) and usually arrive at stores within 2 days of being picked. If you can't find cherries at your local farmers markets, you're still in luck. They also don't like the heat of Southern climates. Sweet cherry trees can survive the cold winters in northern climates, but the flowers often get hit by a late frost (except on Michigan's lake front). Other US states are likely getting cherries shipped in from the other states, and will result in higher prices.Other Midwest & Northeastern states, like New York, might find sweet cherries at the farmers markets starting toward the end of June and throughout July.Michigan: grows 20% of the country's sweet cherry crop, with a very short season almost entirely in July. ![]()
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