The official first fruit, they show up in May and gone in early August, so get them while you can.

You want to select plump shiny fruit with green stems.

Store the cherries in the refrigerator; they bruise easily and lose quality at room temperature.

Cherries freeze well. Lay them in a single layer on a baking shee, freeze, then place into freezer safe plastic bags.

Try cherries sauteed with sweet onion and sage atop grilled chicken or whitefish.

A cool trick to keep things from flying into your bottled drinks, use a cherry to cover the hole as a charming stopper for those unwanted visitors.

Try these:

The Tart(Sour) cherry, a medium firm and tart; ruby red color. The best cherry for pies and tarts.

The Ranier cherry, a very sweety, delicate flavor, yellow skin with bright red blush. Eat fresh, this is the queen of cherries.

The Lapins cherry, a deep sweet flavor; dark red skin and flesh. Used for sauces, desserts, and in salads.

The Bing cherry, a firm, juicy fruit; deep mahogany red color. Great for eating out of hand, and for cooking.