If you're new to using cherries in your cooking, it's definitely recommended to look online for some standard options. Most often, cherries are used in dessert dishes for their sweet taste. For certain recipes (particularly baking) you'll want lighter-tinted, sour cherries. If you're adding them as an accent, as you would atop a sundae, you'll want them dark and sweet. You don't have to make up your mind right away, but it's a good idea to have some vague idea what you'd like to make with your cherries. This includes washing and pitting them. Remembering to do this is arguably even more important when you're using them in a recipe; if you cherries in a pie, for example, without first pitting them, the entire pie will end up being ruined! The most famous use of cherries in cooking is arguably in pies. Cherry pie is a staple dish in many cafes, and for good reason! You can add cherries into your pie whole if you want, or you can mash them into a thick paste so they're able to disperse more evenly. You can even try baking with cherry jam! There are lots of possibilities when it comes to baking; look up some solid recipes, and you'll end up with a delicious summertime treat. An even simpler way of adding cherries is through salads. Salads tend to be inclusive of all sorts of fruits and vegetables. You won't need too many cherries to accent your salad-- just a few will give a tangy kick to your meal you won't soon forget. In many ways, an ice cream sundae is the ultimate dessert. It can be made even better by adding a cherry atop some whipped cream. While it will taste great, adding cherries as accents has the extra benefit of boasting some visual panache as well. It's an easy way to give your home concoctions the look of fine dining. For sundaes, you'll want to get sweeter, darker cherries. The sour taste of light cherries doesn't compliment ice cream nearly as well. Jam is one of the most versatile creations you can make from fruit. The sweetness in cherries makes them perfect for making jams with. Pit your cherries, pick off the stems, and finely chop them up. Next, add some sugar and pectin, and mix them together until they make an even paste. Next, boil it together. Look up some special recipes, and you'll have your own homemade jam in no time at all.  Cherry jam is best served on bread, but it's also great in pies and on ice cream.
Research some recipes. Prepare cherries as though you were going to eat them on their own. Bake them in a pie. Add them to salads. Accent an ice cream sundae with a cherry!  Make a cherry jam.