How to Freeze Cherries for Pie, Jam, and More
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure.
It’s cherry season! If you’re fortunate enough to have a mile-high pile of fresh cherries, freezing is hands down the easiest way to preserve them for later. Learn how to freeze cherries to make cherry pie, jam, shakes, and much more all year long.
Cherries are one of my all-time favorite fruits, and they taste great in pretty much anything. They’re wonderful pickled, baked into cherry apple crisp, and so much more.
But all that flavor is short-lived. Cherries go bad pretty fast, and the season is so short!
Freezing cherries is a great way to have plenty of the summer’s freshest cherries on hand to use any time of the year.
Add them to homemade milkshakes and smoothies, make your own jam, bake up the best cherry pies, and more! Frozen cherries are incredibly versatile and always an asset. Plus, they’re very easy to preserve. I’ll show you how I do it so you get the best results every time!
Equipment
To freeze cherries, you’ll need:
- Cherry pitter
- Sheet pan or cookie sheet
- Parchment paper, wax paper, or silicone liner
- Freezer-safe Ziploc bag or container for storage
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh cherries – You can use this technique with any type of cherries: Bing, Rainier, tart cherries, etc. I prefer to use the freshest, firmest fruit, but this really works even if your cherries are starting to get a little bit soft. No moldy cherries though, please!
How to Freeze Cherries
1. Wash cherries, then let them dry on a clean kitchen towel. Remove any stems and pit each cherry.
2. Arrange the pitted cherries in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
3. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours to freeze the cherries solid.
4. Remove the cherries from the freezer, then transfer to a freezer-safe container.
5. Freeze for 6 months to 1 year and enjoy in your baked goods, oatmeal, and more.
Storing Frozen Cherries
To keep your frozen cherries from getting freezer burn, I have a few suggestions for storage containers.
First, regular freezer-safe bags are a good starting point. They’ll stay fresh for about 6 to 12 months.
For long term storage, vacuum seal your cherry bags. I’ve used frozen berries I sealed 4-5 years ago, and they were only just starting to get freezer burn. It’s worth the effort, for sure!
If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, try to remove as much air from your bags as possible. You can even use a straw to suck out extra air for a DIY vacuum sealer.
Useful Tips & Variations
- Freeze first. It’s tempting to skip the pre-freeze step and just add the cherries to a freezer bag, but this usually results in a big clump of frozen cherries instead of ones that are easy to pour. This is the best way to do it.
- Where can you buy cherries in bulk? I’ve purchased cases of cherries from local farmstands, but I recently ordered 3 cases of cherries from Azure Standard and was thrilled with the price and quality. We’ll definitely be ordering cherries from them again next summer!
- Choose organic when possible. This can get really expensive, but I try to purchase organic stonefruit whenever possible since you eat the skin. Same with berries, apples, pears, etc.
- Any type of cherry can be frozen in this way. I obviously froze sweet cherries (Bing), but you can freeze tart or sour cherries for pie, Rainiers, or whichever type you like.
- Infuse the cherry pits in vinegar for a week or two for a flavorful addition to salads.
- Wear gloves. This is totally optional, but if you are pitting lots and lots of cherries, your fingers will become stained. I recommend wearing an apron, plastic gloves, and placing your pitter in some sort of splatter-proof area to minimize staining. It gets everywhere!
How to Use Frozen Cherries
The options are really limitless! Frozen cherries can be used in:
- Milkshakes and smoothies
- Homemade ice cream
- Yogurt bowls
- For baking cherry apple crisp or cherry cobbler
- Baking homemade cherry pie
- Canning cherry pie filling
- Canning cherry jam
- Making cherry simple syrup or sauces
If you are freezing cherries for pie, I like to store 4 cups in a quart size bag for easy serving.
FAQs
No, but I highly recommend it. You’ll need to pit them eventually, and trying to pit thawed cherries will be much messier.
There are some DIY ways to pit cherries, like using a sturdy straw or a paper clip, but I highly recommend getting a cherry pitter. I use one with a push mechanism that tends to go pretty quickly. Next year, I’d like to get one that pits multiple cherries at once. I also have a handheld pitter, but it makes my shoulders burn after an hour or two of pitting cherries!
I freeze a lot of fruit, and although there are lots of freezer-safe containers out there, vacuum sealing is hands down the best. This will minimize freezer burn and keep your frozen cherries fresh for years! If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, use plastic freezer bags or containers.
Related Recipes
I have quite a few cherry recipes on the blog since they’re such a favorite! Try these options to use up the rest of your cherry harvest.
- Pickled Cherries
- Low Sugar Cherry Jam
- Cherry Apple Crisp
- Cherry Vinaigrette
- Dehydrating Cherries
- Black Cherry Simple Syrup
How to Freeze Cherries
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Silicone liner or parchment paper
- vacuum sealer optional, but recommended for long term storage
- freezer-safe bags
Ingredients
- 3-5 lbs fresh cherries, washed, dried, destemmed, and pitted
Instructions
- Wash cherries, then let them dry on a clean kitchen towel. Remove any stems and pit each cherry.
- Arrange the pitted cherries in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Place the sheet pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours to freeze the cherries solid.
- Remove the cherries from the freezer, then transfer to a freezer-safe container.
- Freeze for 6 months to 1 year and enjoy in your baked goods, oatmeal, and more.
Notes
Pin this recipe for later!
