Food

Food Information

Fruit

Deciduous

CHERRIES

Cherries are drupes that are very closely related to plums and more distantly related to peaches and nectarines. They are tasty, colorful, nutritious, and require no preparation. If cherries have one flaw, it is that they are available for an all too short a period of time. The cherry season is short and sweet. Enjoy them during the months of May through July, because they probably won't be available any other time during the year.

Although cherries originated in the Middle East and have been cultivated for thousands of years in both Europe and the Orient, by far the biggest producer, user, and exporter of cherries is the United States. Most of, and the best of, America's cherries are grown on the West Coast, with the state of Washington number one in production. The large crop from California starts off the season late in May and winds up in mid-June. Then the scene shifts to the northwestern states and winds up early in August in British Columbia. Sweet cherries are also grown in the midwestern and northeastern states, but their fruit doesn't compare in size or flavor with western cherries. (Michigan and New York State have large crops of sour cherries, nearly all of which are sold to canners. Only an insignificant amount is marketed as fresh fruit.)

When purchasing almost any other fresh fruit there are several good varieties to choose from, but when it comes to cherries, it's a one-horse race. The Bing variety is in a class by itself. The rest of the cherry varieties are either also-rans or never-rans. The Bing is the tastiest, firmest, meatiest, and largest cherry grown.

The Tartarians and the Burlatts are the two early varieties that precede the Bings to the marketplace. Although these first arrivals are usually quite costly, the quality and the flavor is mediocre and the fruit is flabby. It's a good idea to pass up the early cherries and wait for the arrival of the Bings, which are usually available the last week in May and rule the roost until nearly the end of July. As the Bing season starts to taper off, the later-blooming Vans, Larians, and Lamberts arrive. These three varieties are quite good but are not in the same league as the Bings either in size or flavor and especially in firmness.

There are two light-colored or white varieties of cherries-the Napoleons (Royal Anne's) and the Raniers. These attractive cherries are cream-colored and sport a red cheek. They have good size and fairly good flavor. The white cherries are not as firm as the dark cherries, are more fragile and easily bruised, and have a short shelf life. They have never become too popular because jWhen you shop for cherries, what you see is what you get. They will not ripen or improve in flavor after you make your purchase. If you buy pale, light-colored cherries, they won't be nearly as sweet as the darker-colored fruit. Always select the firmest, darkest, and largest cherries available. The condition of the stem is a clue to the freshness of the cherry. A fresh cherry will have a green stem firmly attached to the fruit. If the stems have started to discolor, and especially if they are no longer attached to the fruit, the cherries are showing their age. They were either delayed in transit or your retail market ordered them too far ahead. An aged cherry isn't nearly as firm as one that has been harvested more recently. Pass up any cherries that are soft and flabby. Especially avoid those that are sticky or wet. Any decay is contagious, and like the proverbial bad apple, the bad cherry will contaminate nearby sound ones.

With the exception of cultivated blueberries, in most other fresh fruit size has little bearing on flavor and texture. A medium-sized orange or apple is every bit as good as their larger counterparts. But when it comes to cherries, the bigger the better. Larger cherries are more costly than smaller ones, but have more flavor and better texture and are well worth the premium price.

So look for the biggest, darkest, firmest, and freshest Bing cherries available. They'll probably be costly, but it doesn't pay to play a waiting game. At best the Bings are in season for eight to ten weeks. If you miss the boat, except for an insignificant, but very costly, supply imported from the Southern Hemisphere in January, the next boat won't dock for another forty-two weeks.

WHEN TO BUY: At peak June and July
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Large, dark, firm fruit
HOW TO STORE: Refrigerate immediately
ust as some people will buy only red-skinned apples, most people expect cherries to be red.



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