Dating back to 300 B.C., cherries were named after the Turkish town of Cerasus. Through the centuries, cherry trees have been lauded for their delicious, succulent fruit as well as for their beauty. There are two main types of cherries: sweet and sour. [www.QinSen.com]
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Varieties: [www.QinSen.com]
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Bing [www.QinSen.com]
The leading commercial sweet cherry. The fruit is almost black when fully ripe. Large, round, plump, juicy and sweet. [www.QinSen.com]
Lambert [www.QinSen.com]
Fruit is dark red, heart-shaped and a little smaller than the Bing. It also has a rich, sweet flavor.
Rainier
A combination of Bing and Van varieties, this cherry is light cream to golden colored with a pink to red blush. The clear flesh is sweet and delicate with colorless juice.
Selection:
Look for plump, bright-colored cherries. Avoid overly soft or shriveled fruit.
Storage:
Refrigerate, loosely covered, up to 3 days. Pitted and stemmed cherries can be bagged and frozen for several months.

Uses & Preparation:

Rinse cherries to eat fresh. Discard stems and pits.
To pit cherries for use in recipes, use a cherry pitter, an inexpensive tool sold at cookware shops.
Use in pies, preserves and as a sweet topping for ice cream, waffles and pancakes.
Availability:

March and April from Chile.
June and early July from California.
Mid-July from Washington.
Mid-July through mid-August is home-grown season.


Nutrition Information:

Saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
Low fat.
Good source of fiber.