Cherries are popular though out the country as a versatile and flavorful option for sauces, snacks, salads, juice and flavoring.  Both sweet and tart cherries are enjoyed fresh, frozen or canned.  The bulk of the Western Cherries are sold fresh although a good amount goes to freezing and processing.  Most processed maraschino cherries are from California sweet varieties.  In Europe cherries are frozen for the baking trade and some are processed into fine liqueurs uses in cooking and after dinner drinks

Storage  arrange on a paper towel covered tray and loosely cover and refrigerate for no more than 2 or 3 days.  Pitted and stemmed cherries can be frozen for several months

Preparation  before service, remove stems and pits with a cherry pitter or use the end of a vegetable peeler.

Nutrition  1/4 lb. serving of cherries =  65 calories

Yield   1 lb. cherries = 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups pitted cherries