Recommendations on how to store fresh and processed cherries at home

Preserving freshly picked cherries is important not only for housewives, but also for wholesalers. This can only be done if certain conditions are met, by choosing the right storage method and location. Today you will learn how to keep cherries fresh for several days and longer.

Features and basic rules for storing cherries

Cherry is a perishable product. At home, it can be stored fresh for 2 to 7 days, depending on the variety.

This period can be extended if certain conditions are met, for example:

• Late varieties of cherries are suitable for long-term storage;
• from early varieties, only dense, not overripe fruits are chosen;
• 3 weeks before the planned harvest, the tree is not watered so that the skin of the berries does not burst from excess moisture;
• Harvest in the morning, when stone fruits are most resilient.

Storage methods in home and industrial environments differ significantly.

Selection and preparation of berries

Whether you can preserve them for a long time depends on the correct choice of fruits. What you should pay attention to when buying cherries in a store or market:

1. Color. Red varieties should be dark, firm and shiny. These are the first signs of ripeness and freshness of the berries.
2. Damage. The absence of dents and cracks indicates careful transportation.
3. Rotten, spoiled or with signs of fermentation are not suitable for long-term storage.
4. Choose cherries that have a stalk. It contains a small supply of moisture and protects against the entry of bacteria. Berries without tails are poorly stored; the fermentation process begins quickly in them.
5. The stalks should be green and fresh. Brown and limp is a sign that the fruits were picked a long time ago.
6. Do not buy cherries that are sold in buckets or deep containers. The lower layers of the berries have choked from the weight and are no longer suitable for storage.

Suitable containers for transporting and selling fruit are wooden or plastic boxes with a depth of no more than 20 cm.

To preserve the harvest as long as possible, adhere to the following rules:

• pick the berries early in the morning;
• scatter them on a blanket and sort them out, separating whole fruits from rotten, spoiled and crushed ones;
• The cherries are not washed; the remaining dew on the surface of the skin is dried with a paper towel.

Varieties most suitable for long-term storage

Any variety is suitable for storing at home, only the timing and methods vary slightly. For example, light early varieties of cherries can be stored for no more than 5 weeks frozen or 2-3 months dried (in the form of raisins). Red late varieties can be stored for up to 6 months or more.

In industrial conditions, only late varieties of cherries with a high acid content are stored:

• light: Bryansk pink, Exhibition, Francis;
• dark: Napoleon, Regina, Record holder, Tyutchevka.

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How to properly store cherries

Freshly picked berries cannot be stored at room temperature for a long time, because...On the 2-3rd day the fermentation process begins. Therefore, if you don’t have time today to prepare for the winter, put the cherries in a cool room or refrigerator.

Optimal conditions

Suitable storage temperature:

• in fresh, canned or dried form – from +1°С to -1°С;
• refrigerator (common vegetable compartment) – from 0°C to +2°C;
• freezer – from -15...-18°С.

The optimal air humidity for storing fresh berries is 95%. At 50-60% humidity, the period is halved.

Where to store

Depending on the harvesting method, you need to choose a place where the berries will be stored for a long time:

1. Fridge. It contains fresh fruits that have not been heat-treated or dried. They cannot be washed before placing them in containers. Excess moisture is removed using paper napkins.
2. Freezer. Cherries are frozen for longer storage, after being washed under running water and dried on a towel.
3. Cellar. Canned food is stored in glass jars.

Long-term storage of berries at room temperature is impossible; the period is no more than 48 hours.

What to store in

To store cherries at home use:

• plastic containers with a tight-fitting lid;
• glass jars with a capacity from 0.5 l to 3 l;
• special vacuum bags;
• thick plastic bags or zip lock bags.

How to store cherries at home

Simple storage methods allow you to preserve berries fresh, frozen, dried or canned. At the same time, they do not lose their beneficial properties.

It is not possible to keep cherries fresh for a long time at home. Shelf life at room temperature is no more than 2 days.

Freshly picked berries will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days (depending on the variety and degree of maturity). They are placed in a small open top container, such as a plastic container, and placed in the vegetable compartment.

Frozen they last much longer than fresh - more than six months. You can use the freezer. Prepared fruits without signs of damage or spoilage are placed in a bag or plastic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Whole berries and without seeds are frozen. They are used for preparing compotes, desserts, and baked goods.

Important! After the first defrosting, cherries cannot be re-frozen.

Drying is a longer procedure. This storage method allows you to obtain berries, which are then used to make drinks from dried fruits and given to children instead of sweets. Cherries are dried both with and without pits.

Canning - the most common method of storing berries, known to many housewives. Various compotes, preserves, jams, and candied fruits are rolled up in glass jars.

Recycled storage

To preserve processed pitted cherries longer, use the following methods.

Use a gas oven:

1. The berries are carefully sorted, washed under running water and dried.
2. Remove all bones.
3. Place on a baking sheet in one row.
4. Preheat the oven to 50°C, but no more, otherwise the fruits will be baked and not dried. Place the baking sheet in it for 2 hours, then increase the temperature to 75°C. Finished dried berries do not stick together and do not release juice.

Drying in an electric dryer is carried out according to its instructions. The prepared cherries are laid out in one layer. Dry for 24 hours.

To freeze cherries:

1. Washed and dried pitted fruits are placed in a ziplock bag or a regular thick plastic bag. It will save space in the freezer.
2. Leave in the freezer for 2-3 hours, then stir the bag so that the berries do not freeze to each other.

In the future, you can take the required amount to prepare berry compotes, purees, yogurt, and baked goods in winter.

On a note! Defrosting berries is very easy. Just put them on a platter in the microwave, set the “Defrost” mode for 2 minutes, and they will become as fresh.

For compotes and jams, late red varieties with a high acid content are chosen. The berries give the drink a rich color and do not soften during heat treatment. Before canning, rinse the cherries well and remove rotten or spoiled berries. Place in a jar and roll up, following the recipe and dosage of ingredients.

Shelf life

How long cherries are stored depending on the chosen method:

• in the refrigerator (in the lower vegetable compartment) – from 2 to 7 days;
• in the freezer - from 7 to 8 months;
• in dried form – up to a year;
• in canned - from a year.

It is not recommended to store cherry compote for longer than one year. Over time, the seeds begin to release hydrocyanic acid, which can lead to poisoning.

Useful tips to help keep cherries fresh longer

Tips to help keep fruit fresh longer:

• pick the berry or buy it with the stalk - it retains a supply of moisture and vitamins, which will extend the shelf life of the cherry;
• Make sure that among the good fruits there are no spoiled ones, as bacteria will quickly spread to them and cause rotting;
• wash only before use, dry fruits last longer in the refrigerator;
• do not cover the container with a lid - condensation will quickly spoil the fruit;
• The cooler the storage place, the longer the fresh berries will not spoil.

How to preserve berries for sale

It is not possible to store fresh cherries in production for a long time for further wholesale sale. But scientists under the leadership of Gudkovsky V.A., Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, found a way out after conducting a series of tests on the basis of the VNIIS named after. Michurina.

They found that the percentage of stalk drying is significantly reduced if freshly picked berries are quickly cooled at a temperature of +1...+2°C and an air humidity of 95%. This fact has made it possible to develop new methods for storing fresh berries and ways to transport them without damage.

On a note! In supermarkets, cherries are stored in wooden boxes or plastic containers, subject to obligatory temperature control - no more than +2°C and humidity 90-95%.

Agro-industrial enterprises that are engaged in cultivation and wholesale use other storage methods.

Hydrocooling is a new technology that allows you to keep berries fresh for 10-14 days. It is used in all exporting countries involved in storing and packaging fruits. During sorting, the cherries pass through an ice-filled water stream. This does not have much effect on the stalk, but it helps slow down the deterioration of the berry skin.

Using film containers MA-1 and MA-2, a gas environment is created to preserve cherries. They are put on top of wooden boxes with berries laid out in them and closed tightly. Carbon dioxide accumulates inside, the amount of oxygen decreases - a suitable gas environment for storage is formed.

However, this method is less effective than special gas chambers (RGS - controlled gas environment), in which the level of carbon dioxide can be controlled and maintained. Therefore, for storage in a polyethylene container, the berries are pre-cooled at a temperature of +2°C.

MGA (modified gas environment) is an improved analogue of RGS. The system consists of a plastic container in which the gas environment is regulated using a gas exchanger. Thus, fresh fruits are stored for 2-3 weeks.

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Conclusion

You can preserve the nutritional vitamins and freshness of cherries at home using simple methods - cooling or freezing. Processed berries are stored much longer if they are dried, frozen or canned.