Cherries

Cherry season in the Northern Hemisphere runs roughly from May through August, with the peak stretch for most sweet varieties falling in June and early July. Sweet cherries like Bing, Rainier, and Lambert come first from warmer growing regions such as California, then Pacific Northwest crops from Washington and Oregon extend the season into late July. Tart (sour) cherries, mostly the Montmorency variety grown heavily in Michigan, ripen slightly later and have a much shorter window, often just two to three weeks in July. Outside these windows, fresh cherries sold in stores are typically shipped from the Southern Hemisphere (Chile, primarily) at a premium price and softer texture.

Varieties

Sweet cherries (Bing, Rainier, Lambert, Chelan) are the type eaten fresh, dark red to yellow-blushed with firm flesh and high sugar content. Tart or sour cherries (Montmorency, Morello) are smaller, brighter red, far more acidic, and almost never eaten raw; they're grown specifically for pies, preserves, and dried snacks, and account for only a small fraction of total U.S. cherry production compared to sweet varieties.

Buying tips

Choose cherries that are firm, glossy, and plump with the stem still attached and green, not brown or dried out; a green stem is the best sign of recent picking. Avoid any with soft spots, cracked skins, or a shriveled appearance. Size and color intensity don't reliably predict sweetness within a variety, so a taste test at the store is worth it when possible.

Substitutes

• Frozen sweet cherries, thawed and drained — 1:1 by volume

  Best swap for fresh sweet cherries in baking or smoothies once local season ends; texture softens after freezing so they're less suited to eating raw.

• Frozen tart (sour) cherries — 1:1 by volume

  The standard substitute for fresh Montmorody-style tart cherries in pie and sauce recipes, since the fresh season is so short; taste before adding sugar since frozen tart cherries vary in sourness.

• Dried cherries, rehydrated in warm water for 10 minutes — 1/2 cup dried per 1 cup fresh

  Drain well before using; dried cherries are already sweetened in most cases, so cut back added sugar in the recipe.

• Canned dark sweet cherries, drained — 1:1 by volume

  Works in cooked applications like sauces and cobblers but the texture is too soft for fresh eating or garnishing; rinse off syrup if the recipe already calls for sugar.

• Cranberries plus extra sugar — not a direct swap

  Only useful in cooked tart-cherry recipes like pie filling when no cherries at all are available; cranberries are far more tart and lack the cherry flavor, so this changes the dish noticeably.

Storage

Keep fresh cherries unwashed in the refrigerator, ideally in a shallow container lined with a paper towel to absorb moisture. They last about a week this way. Wash only right before eating, since moisture speeds up mold. To freeze, pit them, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag; they'll keep for up to a year and work well in baking straight from frozen.

How to use

Eaten fresh out of hand at peak season, baked into pies, clafoutis, and crisps, cooked down into sauces for pork or duck, folded into salads with goat cheese or blue cheese, and pitted for jams. Tart cherries are almost always cooked rather than eaten raw.

What it pairs with

Sweet cherries pair well with almond, dark chocolate, mascarpone, and balsamic vinegar. Tart cherries balance rich meats like duck and pork, and work into savory sauces alongside red wine or port.

Nutrition

A cup of pitted sweet cherries has about 87 calories and is a solid source of potassium and vitamin C. Tart cherries contain higher concentrations of anthocyanins, the pigments linked in some studies to reduced inflammation and improved sleep, though the effect size in research is modest.

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