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Sweet Cherries Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to sweet cherry products
About sweet cherries
Sweet cherries are delicious and versatile fruits that you can eat as is or use in both sweet and savory dishes. They are jam-packed with nutrients and antioxidants, such as anthocyanin, a type of flavonoid responsible for the red pigment in cherry skins and flesh. Apart from contributing to the sensory characteristics of the cherry, flavonoids provide multiple health benefits. They lower blood pressure, inhibit tumor formation, and help to prevent diabetes, to name just a few.
In the U.S., sweet cherries are grown in Washington, Wisconsin, Michigan, California, and Oregon. There are many varieties of sweet cherries, which all offer subtle differences in taste. In general, the darker cherries provide more intense flavors. Some of the most popular and common types of sweet cherries, which you'll often find in markets and stores in the U.S., include:
- Bing: The heart-shaped Bing cherry is the most cultivated of all the sweet cherries in the world. They are deep red to maroon cherries with a delightfully sweet and tangy taste and firm yet juicy flesh. These cherries are so popular in Washington state, where most of them are grown in the U.S., that cherry seasons are measured as the number of days before or after Bing.
- Chelan: Like Bing cherries, Chelan cherries, also known as black cherries, are heart-shaped and have a deep mahogany color. They have a firm texture and a mild but sweet taste. Chelan cherries ripen about two weeks before Bings, and they are resistant to cracking, which means that they have a longer shelf life than Bings.
- Rainier: Rainier cherries, which are named after Mount Rainier, are generally regarded as a premium cultivar. They provide a rounded flavor profile that includes a touch of tartness that's not present in Bings or Chelans. Their thin skins are yellow with a dab of red, and their creamy-white flesh is firm but a bit more watery than other varieties.
How to pick sweet cherries
Cherries have a short season, which lasts from June through August. When you're out and about shopping for fresh cherries, there are a few things you want to look out for. Opt for cherries with their stems still attached, as the stems extend the shelf life of the fruit—also, the greener the stems, the fresher the cherries. You also want cherries that are plump, firm, and dense. Stay away from cherries that are bruised or wrinkled.
How to store sweet cherries
When you get home, remove the cherries from the bag in which you bought them and pick out any bruised or spoiled specimens. Place them in a shallow bowl in the fridge and consume them within three to four days. Wash the cherries as you eat them since doing so before you store them will speed up the decaying process.
Cherries freeze well, both with their pits or without. Simply wash and dry them and place them in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer. Stored this way, they can last up to a year. You can also preserve your cherries by drying them. Wash and dry the cherries, and then cut them in half and remove their pits. Place them skin-side down on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for about six hours at 140 degrees until they're sticky. Place them in sealed bags and store them in a cool, dry place. They'll last for six months up to a year.
During the summer months, you can buy a great variety of fresh cherries through Instacart! Simply visit our site and order your choice of cherries online. One of our efficient Instacart shoppers will hand-pick your order and can deliver it to your door within 2 hours! Our grocers also stock various dried, frozen, and canned cherry products available throughout the year.
Sweet Cherries Near Me
Buy your favorite Sweet Cherries online with Instacart. Order Sweet Cherries from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about sweet cherries
Apart from being delicious, sweet cherries are packed with nutrients. Besides anthocyanin, cherries contain a lot of vitamin C, which keeps the immune system strong, and potassium, which lowers blood pressure and helps to regulate fluid balance in your body. What's more, cherries provide fiber, which keeps the gut healthy and helps to lower cholesterol.
There is more than one way to pit a cherry if you don't have a cherry pitter. One method is to take a paper clip and open it up. Insert the hooked end into a cherry, and then twist it around the pit until you can dislodge and pull it out.
Another method you can follow is to remove the stem, hold the cherry between two fingers, and then gently push a chopstick, smaller end first, into the cherry and onto the pit in order to push the pit out. If you're having difficulty keeping the cherry steady, place it on the mouth of an empty glass bottle and push the pits into it.