How to Harvest and Store Sour Cherries

Cherries come in two types: sweet and sour. Most sour cherries grown in the United States find their way into preserves, sauces and pie filling - and a healthy filling it is. Sour cherries are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and beta-carotene and, like most fruits, they're fat-free.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Baskets
• Gardening Gloves
• Airtight Containers
• Pie Pans

1. Harvest sour cherries when they're fully ripe; when they reach the right size, color and taste; and when they come off the tree readily. The timing varies with each variety.

2. Pick sour cherries gently to avoid damaging them - they keep poorly even with the best treatment, and bruised or cut cherries will rot faster than you can say, "I cannot tell a lie."

3. Freeze sour cherries or make them into jams or pies as soon as possible after you pick them.

4. Store sour cherries in the refrigerator for up to two days if you can't use them immediately. Pack them loosely in airtight containers, or pour a single layer of cherries into a shallow pan and cover it with plastic wrap.

Tips & Warnings

• You can expect 2 to 2 1/2 bushels of sour cherries from a vigorous, full-size tree and a single bushel from a dwarf variety.