Spring means the beginning of fresh fruit. Each fruit has its time when it is at the peak of freshness. Cherries are just one of those fruits. You can find them at farmer’s markets and fresh in the grocery store.
There are three main kinds of cherries: Bing, Lambert, and Rainier. I hear people talking about Bing cherries mostly. My sister absolutely loves fresh cherries. She eats them like candy. It’s a good thing that they are healthy to eat!
A good cherry has a deep red color. The skin will be shiny and smooth like it was wet, but it really isn’t. If you rub the skin, it won’t wrinkle up. The fruit itself should be firm to the touch with no breaks in the skin. The cherry will stay firm longer as long as the stem is still attached.
Cherries can be sweet or tart. I don’t like anything that is tart, so I would prefer the sweet ones. When you finish eating them, you can try to tie the stem in a knot with your tongue.
The one thing about visiting the farmer’s market is that your eyes are bigger than your refrigerator and your stomach. The fruit looks so delicious that it is not easy to leave with only a small bag of a fruit like cherries. So, you may find yourself with a surplus of cherries after you have tried to eat several handfuls in one or two sittings.
