
One cup of raw sweet cherries, with pits, is an excellent source of vitamin C (16% DV or daily value) and fiber (12% DV) and a good source of potassium (9% DV). Cherries also are a great source of antioxidants, which fight inflammation and disease. In particular, those deep reddish purple Bing cherries most of us are familiar with, are loaded with anthocyanins, a type a flavonoid. If flavonoids sound familiar it is probably because you've heard about the heart healthy benefits they bring to red wine and dark chocolate.
Choose firm cherries with shiny unblemished skins and bright green stems. Rinse cherries under cool running water just before eating. Cherries are great just the way they are as a snack, side dish or
dessert, and at picnics and road trips. Don't wait - - get them before they're gone!
For recipes that feature cherries, check out either of these stories from the New York Times:
A Bowl of Cherries by Karen Barrow, 6/2013
Summer Cherry Season, Short and Sweet by Tara Parker-Pope, 7/2011
To learn more about Rainier cherries, read:
Rainier: THE Best Cherry by Carol Medeiros, Whole Foods Market Blog, 7/2011