In the Pacific Northwest we are in peak cherry season! All across the state fresh cherries are being picked and enjoyed. Did you know that Washington is one of the largest producers of cherries in the entire country? Next time you are at the grocery store, check to see if your fresh cherries came from Washington.
Once you get your cherries home you might be asking, how to was cherries? You want to be able to keep cherries fresh as long as possible so that you can enjoy them and washing cherries correctly is a major part of this. The good news is that if you follow my directions, you can keep cherries fresh for up to three weeks!
How Do You Clean Cherries?
If you want to know how to wash cherries, it is easier than you might think! One important thing about washing and storing fresh cherries is that you want to keep the stems on them. During the entire washing process, you want to keep as many of the stems on as you can so be careful with them. When the stems come off, it allows oxygen to get inside of the cherry which causes them to begin going bad. Keeping the stems on cherries will help them to last longer and stay fresh while you are storing them.
If you are wondering, how do you clean cherries? The first step is to put them in a large bowl and fill it with water. Add ¼ cup distilled white vinegar to the bowl. This will kill off listeria, e. coli, mold spores, and any other harmful pathogens that are left on the cherries after harvest. Allow the cherries to soak for two minutes in the vinegar soak. When time is up, I rinse off the cherries to remove any debris or loose stems that might have been left on after soaking. After they have been rinsed, I lay them out on a towel to dry.
Storing Cherries in a Mason Jar
Since it is summertime, they will usually be dry in two to three hours. Once they are completely dry, I take the cherries that do not have stems and I put them in a bowl so that we can eat them first, since they will not last as long. The cherries that have stems, I will put them into a half gallon or gallon sized mason jar with a paper towel at the bottom.
The mason jar of cherries should be stored in the fridge and they will last for about three weeks. The bowl of cherries should also be placed in the fridge, but be sure to eat those first!
If you would like to freeze fresh cherries, the first step is taking the pit out. After this you can lay them out in a single layer on a tray to place in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can place them in a resealable bag or airtight glass container to enjoy fresh cherries all year long.
Using Fresh Cherries
Last year I made cherry barbeque sauce for my family. The cherries are the perfect touch to give it extra flavor. You can enjoy it fresh or add it to your canning list and add it to your pantry as a shelf stable item. Learn more about this sauce and find the full recipe in this blog.
I also use fresh cherries to make dye free maraschino cherries! Keep an eye on my YouTube Channel for the directions.
Cherries are one of the fruits that are included in my bestselling eBook bundle of I Bought It, Now What and I Bought it, Now What Summer Edition. In these two books you will find the full directions for washing and storing 50 of the most popular fruits and vegetables. If you want your fruits and vegetables to last longer, having these directions all in one place is a game changer.
I hope that this has been helpful in answering how do you clean cherries and keep them fresh? Store your cherries in a mason jar and you will be able to enjoy them all summer long.
You can watch the entire process of how I wash and store cherries in my latest YouTube video below.
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