Luscious, sweet and a bit tart, Bing cherries are the most popular cherry in North America. Chilean ones are imported in winter, but American-grown cherries are available only in the summer.
Delicious on their own, cherries also shine in pies and jams and star in the French baked custard called clafouti. And if you think that cherries are only good in sweet dishes, think again. Try tossing pitted cherries into salads or using them in place of tomatoes for a twist on salsa.
Buy Bing cherries that are deep red, large and firm, and store them, unwashed, in the refrigerator for up to five days. A cherry pitter helps remove pits easily, or you can simply make a cut around each cherry with a paring knife, as you would to pit a peach.
