New at the Cerritos Farmers Market: Cherries!

I recently fell in love ... in love with the fresh finds and outdoor community atmosphere during my first visit at the .

I decided to make an effort this year to make frequent visits to farmers markets--not only for the fresh air and food--but also because I've found it to be a great way to kick off the weekend and stock up the fridge before the work week begins.  I hope you'll join me in this weekly outdoor adventure--and share with me some of your cool finds or delicious recipes too!

This past weekend, I was delighted to find that plump, juicy cherries are now in season! I decided to stop by the Erickson Farms stand, which specializes only in selling their cherries grown from Fresno.

I had the opportunity to speak with the lovely gal behind the stand, Wendy Castaneda, and asked her what consumers could expect this cherry season. Here’s what I learned:

• They sell two main varieties at their stand: Brooks and Rainier cherries.  The Brooks cherries may vary in color, but even the lighter colored ones are still as sweet as the darker ones.  The Rainer cherries have a slight pink and peach color. 
• The season for cherries is about four to six weeks only—so I'll be stuffing my face with cherries as often as I can until I must say goodbye.
• The best way to store cherries is to put them in the refrigerator and wash them only right before you're going to eat them. They should last up to a week to a week and a half.
• Fresno has the perfect weather to grow cherries, with cold nights and sunny days--so you can always expect their cherries to be delicious!
• Castaneda says this is her favorite job because she gets to interact with the nicest and coolest people—so stop by for some juicy cherries and say hi!

For a full list of what you can find at the Cerritos Farmers Market, click here.