Cherries, as you have probably figured out, make a good snack just as they are. They keep well in a cool dry place on the counter. But, after a couple of weeks, they will start to get soft and mushy. Mushy fruit is not good to eat.

There are a couple of things that you can do if you find yourself with surplus cherries. Consider baking a pie. Cherry pie is a favorite at church socials, county fairs, and backyard cookouts. For those diehard cherry lovers you can add a few extra cherries since you have so many. If you want them to last a really long time, put them in a fruitcake.

For a sweet or tart twist on your favorite salad, cut up a few ripe cherries and throw them on top. Cherries are appropriate on top of yogurt with a bit of granola thrown in for fiber. Speaking of toppers, cherries can be used in a glaze and drizzled on top of a piece of New York cheesecake. For fizzy drinks, float a few cherries in them as a garnish. When we were young, they used to serve cherries as a garnish for Shirley Temple drinks.

Use these suggestions and others you may have heard to avoid throwing away extra cherries.