Nutrition Notes By Theresa Stahl, RD, LDN   

Today, my husband went to our local farmer’s market and brought home a bounty of tender young peas, juicy strawberries, and sweet cherries. What a wonderful time of year! Each week brings new, “fresh-from-the-garden” delights, and fresh cherries are a particularly delicious summer treat.

Cherries are drupes, also called stone fruit, which means they are fruit with a single stone or pit. They are one of the easiest fruits to snack on because they require so little preparation. 

Sweet and sour
There are two main types of cherries: sweet and sour. Sour cherries are the best-known, and are available canned or frozen for use as pie filling. Bing cherries are the most popular type of sweet cherry. Bings are large, round, extra-sweet cherries with purple-red flesh and a deep-red skin that is almost black when fully ripe.

Cherries are excellent snacks by themselves, and they make colorful additions to fruit salads. Once pitted, their color may run onto the other fruit, so they should be added last. Pitted cherries are also a great addition to yogurt, fruit smoothies and milkshakes.

Enjoy fresh or frozen
The United States is one of the leading producers of cherries. Fresh cherries are in season for about three months each year. They can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for several days, but they soften quickly if placed in a warm area. 

Prepare fresh cherries for freezing by rinsing, draining, and spreading them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, which is the same method as used for freezing berries. Transfer frozen cherries to a heavy plastic bag, where they can be stored for up to one year.

One cup of cherries contains about 100 calories. They are fat-free, and contain fiber and vitamin C.