Unlike their sour cousins, sweet cherries are meant for eating fresh and for looking stunning in a big white bowl on a table where you can grab them by the handful. Twist cherry stems from the tree carefully to avoid damaging the fruits.
Cherries don t keep well even with the best treatment, and bruised or cut ones go downhill fast.
Use sweet cherries immediately, if you can. If that s not possible, pack them loosely, preferably in a single layer, in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They should keep for two days or so. Whether cherries keep longer with our without their stems is a point of contention among fruit lovers. Experiment and see which method works best for you.