Use it up · Fruits

Cherries

Have extra cherries? Here’s how to choose, store and prep cherries, plus 5 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Look for firm, shiny cherries with green stems.

Best season: Early summer. Timing varies by region.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: About 1 week, unwashed
Freezer: 12 months, pitted

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Pit before serving to young children. A paper clip or straw pushes pits out.

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: plums and cherries. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Sweet cherries. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	63 kcal	3%
Protein	1.1 g	2%
Total fat	0.2 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.0 g	0%
Total carbohydrate	16 g	6%
Dietary fiber	2.1 g	8%
Total sugars	13 g
Sodium	0.0 mg	0%
Calcium	13 mg	1%
Iron	0.4 mg	2%
Potassium	222 mg	5%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 171719 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

5 recipes, the ones that use the most cherries first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.