Cherries are beneficial for cooking because they are versatile, low in calories, and delicious. They can be used in many dishes, including salads, stews, pies, desserts, and more.
Cherries are a fruit that is often under-utilized when thinking of fruits that would be appropriate to cook with. They have an intense flavor that is both sweet and tart at the same time. It pairs well with many herbs and spices.
Like most other fruits, cherries tend to go bad after a while. In this article, we will discuss more why cherries go bad and what you can do to keep them fresh longer.
Do Cherries Go Bad?
Cherries go bad when they are not stored in the right conditions. If you don’t refrigerate them, they will last for one week after picking. However, if you want to store them for a longer period of time, it is best to freeze them.
Cherries go bad when they are too ripe. Cherries may be eaten in their ripe and unripe forms and the food value is not affected much in either case.
Cherries go bad as they are exposed to the air. This effect is known as souring. However, cherries can still be eaten if they are quickly frozen and then thawed out.
Cherries go bad as the sugars in them react with oxygen in the air to create a chemical called furanone that gives cherries a sour taste and a distinctive odor. Cherries begin to go bad when they are exposed to the air, but they can still be eaten if they are quickly frozen and then thawed out.
How Long Do Cherries Last?
Cherries are perishable fruit with a short shelf life. Cherries are commonly found fresh in the markets, although they can last for up to two weeks if they are stored carefully. They will last for this time if they are kept properly.
It will only last for about one week if they are kept at room temperature.
If you store them in the refrigerator, the fruit will last almost three weeks.
In the freezer, cherries will last for about 6 months. However, it’s only recommended to store them if you’re going to use the cherries that require mixing.
How to Store Cherries
When it comes to cherries, you can store the fruit in the refrigerator, the freezer, or the pantry. The important thing is that they stay cold and don’t become exposed to light.
The best way to store cherries is in the refrigerator because it slows down the oxidation process. The refrigerator should be set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Cherries should be stored in an airtight container with an inch of sugar around them. This will keep them fresh for up to two weeks.
If you’re going to eat the cherries within a couple of days, storing them at room temperature is fine. Just make sure to keep them covered and stored away from direct sunlight.
If you want to keep your cherries for longer than a month, the freezer is the best option for storage. However, storing cherries in the freezer will cause them to become soggy when it thaws. If you’re going to use cherries to make sauces or smoothies, it will be fine.
How to Tell If Cherries Are Bad?
Cherries have a high sugar content and low acidity content. This makes them vulnerable to spoiling faster than other fruits such as apples or oranges because they lack something that prevents bacteria from growing – acidity.
Common signs that cherry is bad includes the following:
- Brown spots on the skin
- Soft stem
- Shriveled fruit
- Molding on the surface of the cherry
- Smells sour/unpleasant
With these signs in mind, it will be easy for you to know if a cherry is bad and should be discarded.
How To Keep Cherries Fresh Longer?
Cherries can last for a little while, but they start to lose their flavor and become softer. There are a few ways to keep cherries fresh longer, such as putting them in the fridge, giving them a bath in lime juice, or coating them with sugar before you freeze them.
The following is a list of ways that people have found to keep cherries fresh longer:
- Storing the cherries in the fridge
- Keeping them in a bowl of lime juice
- Coating the cherries with sugar before freezing
Related Questions
Do cherries go bad in the heat?
The sugar content in cherry is typically lower than other fruits, making them more susceptible to the effects of temperature changes and fluctuating humidity levels.
Therefore, cherries go bad when exposed to high temperatures or low humidity over an extended period of time.
Can bad cherries make you sick?
Bad cherries can make you sick if you consume them. That is because the bacteria in bad cherries can cause illness, which you might not realize until later. The most common signs of food-borne illnesses are flu-like symptoms and diarrhea.
The bacteria that cause these illnesses live in the pits and stems of fruits and vegetables and they grow in environments that contain water and oxygen. Bad cherries have higher levels of sugar than good cherries, which makes them an ideal environment for bacterial growth.