Cherries have soft flesh that’s both sweet and tart, making it great for juicing. The pits can pose a challenge to some juicers, however. Be sure that your machine can tolerate pitted fruits before attempting to juice your cherries. Also be sure to remove all stems before running them through the juicer. You may wish to pit the cherries yourself before juicing to ensure that none of the pit ends up in the juice.

What are the Best Cherries for Juicing?

Cherries are a stone fruit in the same family as peaches, apricots and plums. Most cherries are produced in Turkey, America and Iran. Although there are dozens of varieties of cherry, most cultivated for sale are either domesticated forms of wild cherry or sour cherry.

Sour cherries are primarily used in baking; sweet or wild cherries are the best for juicing. Some of the most common sweet cherries grown in the US include Bing, Rainier, Brooks, Tulare and King. Sweet cherries are usually dark red, purplish-black or golden-red in color and the fruit will be slightly heart-shaped.

How to Select Cherries at Market

Cherries are seasonal, with most of the best fresh cherries available in the early summer. Some varieties do grow throughout the spring or fall, but they will not have the same rich flavor as summer cherries. Of course, cherries can be imported from the southern hemisphere, where they ripen during the winter months. Due to their popularity, cherries are usually available year-round in most markets, but they may be more expensive during the off season.

When selecting the best cherries for juicing, look for fruits that have firm, smooth skin that’s free of spots or blemishes. Darker fruits will be the ripest and sweetest. The cherry should be hard to the touch, not squishy. The stem should also be a bright green in color.

Cherries do not keep very long at room temperature. If you do not plan to juice them immediately, keep them in the refrigerator or freeze them. Refrigerated cherries will last up to two weeks, while frozen fruits can last for several months before losing flavor.