How To Freeze Fresh Cherries

Yes, frozen cherries can enhance various dishes, from sweet to savory and from breakfast to desserts. Let me show you how to freeze cherries so you can enjoy the delicious flavor of summer all year long. Let’s go!

WHY FREEZE CHERRIES?

• Cherries are seasonal fruits, and freezing them at their peak flavor is a fantastic way to enjoy this popular summer fruit all year.
• With a short shelf life, freezing is a great option to enjoy cherries for longer.
• Having frozen-washed and pitted cherries readily available in the freezer means I can quickly use them in bakes, smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt. What can be better than having a burst of summer flavor in the middle of January when it’s cold?
• It’s cost-effective to buy cherries in bulk in the summer rather than in the off-season when they are more expensive.
• And let’s not forget you have complete control over what you freeze—the juiciest, ripest cherries. You choose what you freeze.

HOW TO PICK CHERRIES FOR FREEZING?

Use fresh, ripe cherries that you enjoy eating. Try finding a local orchard or a farmer’s market and buy cherries from local sources.

If any cherries appear spoiled, discard them, or use a parking knife to remove the affected section to preserve the rest of the fruit for freezing. If the fruit is beyond saving, discard the whole fruit.

WASH THE CHERRIES

To wash cherries, I use a salt-water solution and deep-soak them for 10-20 minutes. To prepare the salt-water solution, add nine parts of room-temperature tap water and one part of table salt to a large bowl. Allow the salt to dissolve, and then add the fruit. Let sit for 10-20 minutes.

After the deep soak, you need to rinse the cherries under running water. I prefer to dry them thoroughly before storing or freezing them.

PITTING CHERRIES

Before I got a cherry pitter, I’d use a drinking straw, chopstick, or thick bamboo stick to remove pits from the cherries. All these makeshift cherry-pitting methods work well, but if you plan on pitting a decent amount of cherries, I highly recommend you invest in a cherry-pitter.

HOW TO FREEZE CHERRIES

Spread washed whole or pitted cherries in a single layer on a baking sheet or a tray lined with parchment that fits in your freezer. Freezing in a single layer ensures cherries freeze individually and not in clumps. Of course, the former is more straightforward for storage and use. For example, if you want a quick snack, you can quickly grab five cherries from a freezer to make a smoothie.

Freeze cherries on a baking sheet for 12 hours.

PACKING FROZEN CHERRIES FOR STORAGE

Depending on the size of your freezer and your preferred method of freezing, you can freeze cherries in freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags. I chose the latter.

Transfer frozen cherries into a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Close the bag with about 1/2 inch section unzipped. I use a drinking straw to remove air from the bag to mitigate freezer burn. Slide the drinking straw into the bag through an unzipped section. Pinch the section around the drinking straw with your fingers and suck the air out of the bag through the straw. Quickly pull the straw out and close the bag. That’s it. (steps 1-3). When properly frozen, cherries will last in the freezer for 10-12 months. I don’t recommend re-freezing thawed cherries.

HOW TO THAW FROZEN CHERRIES

Frozen cherries can be used frozen or defrosted, depending on the recipe.

• You can use frozen cherries straight from the freezer to make sauces, smoothies, ice cream, and certain baked goods. I often chop them into pudding or oatmeal. So good!
• However, for recipes that require thawed cherries, you’ll need to let them thaw in the fridge for a few hours.

FRUIT RECIPES TO TRY

• Double Chocolate Cherry Coconut Drop Cookies
• Peach Slab Bread
• Cherry Rice Pudding with Panna Cotta
• Apple Pie via Inspired Taste
• Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies