Summer time is cherry time. From mid-June until well into August, you can buy the delicious fruit fresh in stores or nibble it directly from your own cherry tree. Before eating, however, the fruit must be washed, because dirt and pesticides can be found on the skin. We explain how to do this in the following article.
Cherries should be washed gently
Wash the cherries carefully
So that you can enjoy the full aroma, there are a few points to consider when washing:
- Wash the fruit before removing the stalk and stone, otherwise they will lose juice and flavor.
- Fill the sink with water and put the cherries in it.
- Move gently and rub dirt off with your fingers.
- Sort out cracked and spoiled fruit.
- Finally twist off the stem.
Under no circumstances should cherries be rinsed under running water, as the delicate fruits burst open easily.
Store cherries properly
For cherries to taste aromatic, they should not be picked unripe. Unlike apricots or nectarines, for example, cherries no longer ripen. The aroma of the fruit harvested too early is unpleasantly sour and not very intense.
Only wash the cherries just before eating them, because that's the only way they will last for about two days wrapped in a kitchen towel in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Cherries are often offered in a plastic bag. It is better to remove this, as condensation can form under the plastic skin, which leads to rapid rot and mold growth.
How do I recognize ripe cherries
You don't have to taste the delicious fruit to find out if it's actually ripe. If the stalk is firmly attached to the fruit and is smooth and green, the cherries have been picked at just the right time. The outer skin should be shiny and fully colored.
tips
If you have trouble pitting the cherries, place them in the freezer for a few minutes. This will make the flesh a little firmer and the stone will pop off easily.