Eating cherries is a pleasure that everyone loves. This fruit, loaded with vitamin A and vitamin C, essential for health, is a summer favorite. Thanks to the existing variety, they are enjoyed daily, making the most of their minerals such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Besides, cherries are one of the main characters in dessert recipes, smoothies, juices, and liqueurs.
The versatility of cherries has been proven, which is why many people have chosen to preserve this food rich in nutritional properties. For this purpose, a complex selection is required since they tend to spoil, and in some cases, the flavor is completely different. There are different ways to eat this heart-shaped fruit, you have to be careful not to make some mistakes when choosing and preserving them.
Common mistakes when choosing and preserving cherries fruit
One thing to remember when buying cherries is that you should eat them before they spoil. The cherry is considered a super fruit, not only because of its properties but also because of its conditioned shelf life. But at the same time, it is a rather delicate fruit, so it is necessary to avoid making mistakes when choosing them in the market and to preserve them for future use.
Getting lost among so much variety
It focuses on the two types of cherries that exist, sweet and sour, and some hybrid species. The most popular ones are the sweet ones, they are in all markets and stores, what happens with them is that they come in different shades, sizes, and shapes. In that sense, some people often get lost trying to guess whether they are wearing the right ones.
The truth is that the variety of cherries constantly evolves, and dividing them into categories is very complicated. Don’t try to choose the fruit based on just one characteristic because there are so many; enjoy each. You will find them sweet, juicy, sour, and even with different aromas.
Inadequate tone
A difficult task is to rely on the color of each variety of cherries to know if they are fresher. What happens is that, regardless of the shade, i.e., very red, dark, pinkish, or two-tone, the flavor is still sweet and delicious. Remember that the most common in the market are the red ones.
As a general rule of thumb choose cherries that are deep, bright red, that is the right shade, not dull or drab. These are usually mid-season or early harvest. The darker and fleshier ones are somewhat late.
Always choose the largest ones
Believe it or not, size doesn’t matter when it comes to cherry quality. A common mistake is to think that the biggest cherry is the best, ignoring all the flavors of the smaller one. For example, the taste of cherries, which measure 22 mm, is so refined that the company of the most popular chocolates has decided to buy the entire production to candy them and produce its candy.
In modern plantations, plants with large fruits are watered much more, but you should know that the more water you use, the more the flavor deteriorates. In that sense, size, in some varieties, can be misleading.
Differentiating late from early
Cherries are very delicate fruits, their season starts in May, and they must be harvested at the right time because once harvested, they stop ripening. What differentiates the former from the latter is the time they are harvested. The first ones arrive the first week of May. However, the early, intermediate, and late varieties are equally tasty.
In the market, they are found according to their variety, place of sowing, and type of plantation. Those from higher areas, i.e., one thousand meters, are harvested late, are the richest, crunchiest, and are larger than the first ones, usually planted at 200 meters above sea level.
Excessive washing
As the cherry is such a delicate fruit, there is care that cannot be overlooked. Excess water and cold can damage this fruit since its skin is very thin. You should not wash them and then store them in the refrigerator, even if you plan to eat them a few hours later. It is best to pour water over it for a few seconds and eat it immediately.
Preserves cherries longer
Cherries are so tasty that you will surely want to use them in different recipes. You can store them unwashed in the refrigerator and they will keep for about 15 days. It is important to place them in a space where the cold does not touch them directly.
Another option to keep them longer is in the freezer. The container must be completely dry; separate one from the other, or if you prefer, store them with a little light syrup. In this case, the darker varieties withstand freezing better.
