How To Preserve Cherries

Enjoy learning How to Preserve Cherries with this easy step-by-step guide covering dehydrating, canning, and freezing. Foolproof methods to enjoy sweet and tangy cherry flavor all year long!

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Cherries

Cherry season is fleeting, but your enjoyment of these ruby-red gems doesn’t have to be! Learning how to preserve cherries properly means you can savor their sweet-tart flavor year round.

Whether you’ve picked your own cherries, or bought them in bulk, this guide will show you everything you need to know to keep your cherries fresh and flavorful, making the most of what you have!

When To Harvest Cherries

They should be juicy and sweet, but still firm. Tasting a cherry will also help determine if they’re ripe.

How To Store Cherries

Harvested or bought, fresh cherries should be stored in the refrigerator.

Dehydrating Cherries

• CUT: Stem, wash, drain and pit fully ripe cherries. Cut in half, chop, or leave whole.
• DIPPING:
  • Whole: Dip in boiling water 30 seconds or more to check skins
  • Cut and pitted: no treatment necessary
• DEHYDRATOR: 24-36 hours
• APPEARANCE WHEN DRY: pliable, leathery

Canning Cherries

QUANTITY: An average of 17 1⁄2 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A lug weighs 25 pounds and yields 8 to 12 quarts – an average of 2 1⁄2 pounds per quart.

Preparing Cherries:

Stem and wash cherries. Remove pits if desired. 

If pitted, place cherries in water containing ascorbic acid to prevent stem-end discoloration. If canned unpitted, prick skins on opposite sides with a clean needle to prevent splitting.

Cherries may be canned in water, apple juice, white-grape juice, or syrup. If syrup is desired, select and prepare preferred type as directed.

HOT PACK 

1. In a large saucepan add 1⁄2 cup water, juice, or syrup for each quart of drained fruit and
   bring to boil.
2. Fill jars with cherries and cooking liquid, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace.

Process Time: Pints: 15 minutes Quarts: 20 minutes 

RAW PACK 

1. Add 1⁄2 cup hot water, juice, or syrup to each jar.
2. Fill jars with drained cherries, shaking down gently as you fill.
3. Add more hot liquid, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace.
4. Adjust lids and process in boiling water bath.

Process Time: Pints and Quarts: 20 minutes

Freezing Cherries

Preparing Sweet Cherries

1. Select bright, fully ripened cherries of dark colored varieties.
2. Wash, stem and pit.

SYRUP PACK 

1. Use cold, 40 percent syrup.
2. For a better quality product add 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid to each quart syrup.
3. Pack fruit and cover with syrup, leaving headspace.
4. Seal and freeze.

Preparing Tart Cherries

1. Select bright red, tree ripened cherries.
2. Wash, stem and pit.

SYRUP PACK 

1. Pack cherries into containers and cover with cold 50 per cent syrup.
2. Leave headspace.
3. Seal and freeze.

SUGAR PACK 

1. To 1 quart (1 and 1/3 pounds) cherries add 3/4 cup sugar.
2. Mix until sugar is dissolved.
3. Pack into containers, leaving headspace.
4. Seal and freeze.