Cherries

What is it?

Cherries are one of life's tiny treasures, each one bursting with an amazing sweet, tart flavor. Here in the Yakima Valley, we are lucky enough to have many different types of cherries fresh from the farm and ready to snack on every June-July. A few of these types include Bings, Chelans, Rainiers, and Sweethearts.

What does it taste like?

In general cherries are usually sweet, sour, and at times acidic. Each variety of cherry has its own distinct flavor. For example:

• Rainier cherries have a very high sugar content and low acidity, giving them a very sweet almost peach-like flavor

• Bing cherries are one of the most popular types of cherries because of their firm, crisp texture, and classic sweet, tart cherry flavor

• Chelan cherries are very similar to Bings, the difference being its slightly sweeter and very juicy when eaten fresh

What to do with it?

Cherries are typically eaten by themselves as a perfect on-the-go snack, but there is so much more you can do with these delicious stone fruits. Traditionally cherries are used more commonly in desserts such as pies, tarts, syrups, and jams/marmalades. However, they can also be a great addition to savory dishes! Make a cherry glaze to top pork chops or turkey, or simply chop and pit them to add to a salad.

How to store?

When storing cherries make sure to keep them dry and cool. They will last about a week in the fridge if kept unwashed and dry, and even longer if you store them between layers of paper towels.