How to Pick a Sweet Cherry

I’ve got some juicy, plump, sweet news to share: it’s time for cherries, especially at Whole Foods Market®! Cherry Fest is Whole Foods’ annual celebration of fresh cherries, one of the most anticipated fruits of summer. Whether creating something savory or sweet, or simply diving into a heaping bowl of chilled cherries, now is the time to celebrate this peak-season fruit and Whole Foods is the place to find them. They source the best cherries – and plenty of them – and this Friday only, July 11th, Bing cherries are $2.99 a pound at all stores nationwide!

Now that you know where to find them, let’s talk about how to select the tastiest cherries. Here are five steps to help you cherry-pick the best of the basket.

How to Pick a Sweet Cherry:

Check the stems. Fresh cherries have green stems

Give them a feel. Cherries should be firm, no soft spots or bruising

Look for the good color. Depending on variety, ideally they should be deep, bright red to mahogany

Give them the once over. Fruit should be free of insect damage and pitting (little indentations caused by dehydration)

Give them a taste. Be sure the amount of sugar in the fruit is high

Oh, and size matters for cherries. Keep in mind the larger the cherry, the more fruit (less pit) you get.

Did you notice the mouthwatering opening photo?

It’s called Oh Sweet Cherry Salsa and I created it specifically for Whole Foods’ Cherry Fest using Bing and Rainier cherries purchased last weekend at the Whole Foods in Huntington Beach. This vibrantly colored salsa highlights the pure essence of cherry punched up with a touch of heat and tart lime. I served it on top of grilled Copper River Salmon – in season and available now at Whole Foods! It requires no cooking (Yay!), is easy to make, and super versatile – perfect paired with pork, add zip to salmon, or jazz up your morning yogurt parfait. I’ll be posting the recipe later this week because we want you to come and taste ALL the CHERRY culinary delights developed by the creative Whole Foods Market teams and select Orange County bloggers, including yours truly, at the 5th Annual Cherry Fest this Wednesday, July 9th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Whole Foods Market, Tustin.

SEE YOU THERE!

Whole Foods Market, Jamboree