Do bing cherries need to be refrigerated?!
Do bing cherries need to be refrigerated?
Or are they better left on the counter? What is better taste and health-wise?
Answers:
I leave mine in the refrigerator. It's a safety thing..
I say non-refrigerated. They taste better then anything else.
If they're ripe, I keep them in the refrigerator so they won't spoil as quickly. I take them out a bit before eating them, as they do taste better at room temperature. Health-wise, there is no difference whatsoever.
They keep better in the fridge, but I think they taste better at room temp. It's easy to do the experiment yourself. If I have a lot of them I store them in the fridge and take some out to warm up before I eat them.
There is no difference health wise, since by the time they get to most markets they've been off the tree for some time. If they grow in your area you can get them at a farmers' market, where they'll be fresher. Yum.
Cherries have been shown to have several health benefits. Cherries contain anthocyanins, which is the red pigment in berries. Cherry anthocyanins have been shown to reduce pain and inflammation. Anthocyanins are also potent antioxidants. Cherries have also been shown to contain high levels of melatonin. Research has shown that people who have heart attacks have low melatonin levels. Besides being an anti-oxidant, melatonin has also been shown to be important for the function of the immune system. Research also indicates that melatonin suppresses COX-2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cherry...
They last longer if you refrigerate them, and personally, I like the taste of them cold - especially on a hot summer evening, when the condensation on the cold cherries makes them all slippery when you first pop them into your mouth. Then, that initial blast of sweet, cold, fresh cherry juice squirts into your mouth as your teeth sink into that first bite - yum! The only other thing you need in order to have a good time is take a bowl of them out on your front porch, sit with a good friend, and see who can spit the seeds the furthest...(smile)