Tips at Cherry Acres

Coming to Cherry Acres Orchard:
• Wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothing.
• Cherries can stain so do not wear new clothes to pick cherries.
• Coolers are a good idea to keep the cherries fresh during the trip home.

Cherry Picking Tips at Cherry Acres:
• Avoid cherries with dark colored stems.
• Cherries should be firm to the touch but not hard.
• Look for shiny, firm, plump fruit with fresh stems and unbroken skin.
• Avoid cherries with wrinkled skin or white spots that indicate mold.
• Avoid mushy cherries.
• Avoid moldy cherries.

Cherry Selection
Fresh cherries should be clean, bright, shiny, and plump with no blemishes. Sweet cherries should have firm, but not hard flesh, while sour cherries should be medium-firm. The darker the color, the sweeter the cherry.

Avoid cherries with cuts, bruises, or stale, dry stems. You'll find stemmed cherries less expensive, but be aware that cherries with the stems intact will have a longer shelf life.

How to Freeze Cherries
You can freeze fresh cherries, but they should be pitted first, otherwise they will take on an almond flavor from the pit. Beware the juice when pitting cherries, as it will stain clothing.

Freeze whole, pitted sweet cherries in 40 percent syrup (4 cups water plus 3 cups sugar) with 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid (or citrus juice) added per quart of liquid.

They may also be pitted and frozen without liquid in plastic bags with all the air removed. Some cooks prefer to freeze separated cherries on a cookie sheet and then pack in bags for freezing.

Frozen cherries should last ten to twelve months in the freezer.