Buy cherries that have been kept cool and moist, as flavor and texture both suffer at warm temperatures. 

Good cherries should be large (one inch or more in diameter), glossy, plump, hard and dark-colored for their variety. Buy cherries with green stems on — they should be fresh. Reject undersized cherries or those that are soft or flabby. Avoid fruit that is bruised or has cuts on the dark surface.

Keep in mind that spoiled cherries in a bunch will start causing the others to spoil also.

Loosely pack unwashed cherries in plastic bags or pour them into a shallow pan in a single layer and cover with plastic wrap to minimize bruising. Store cherries in the refrigerator. Cherries in good condition should last up to a week. Check the fruit occasionally and remove the cherries that have gone bad. Wash the fruit before eating.

You can freeze cherries by rinsing and draining thoroughly, spreading them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and placing in the freezer overnight. Once the cherries are frozen, transfer them to a heavy plastic bag. The frozen fruit may be kept up to a year.

Most cherries bought at the market are eaten raw, alone or accompanied by other fruits. Simply wash the fruit and serve with the stems.

For cooking, pit cherries either by hand or with a pitter. Poaching is the most common form of preparation for cooked cherries. Drop cherries into a small amount of simmering water, or a combination of water and wine, and cook for one to three minutes until soft. Use one cup liquid to two cups cherries.

• Add cherries to a fruit salad or green salad for color, flavor and variety

• Poach cherries as an excellent topping for low fat ice cream or low fat frozen yogurt

• Add dried cherries to oatmeal or trail mix for extra sweetness

• Bag into 100-calorie portions and enjoy as a tasty snack