July · San Diego
Cherries
California cherry season runs through July. The window is short. Buy them when they are dark and firm and eat them without much ceremony.
How to choose it
- Dark, deep color — mahogany to near-black for sweet varieties
- Firm, not soft
- Stems still attached and green
- Avoid anything split or leaking
Buy this much: A generous pound. They disappear faster than expected.
Still a splurge compared to most things in the basket, but July is when the price drops from its winter peak. The season is short — worth it.
During the week
- Eaten as a snack
- Halved over Greek yogurt
- As the base for cherry juice in the Hillcrest Spritz
On a weekend
A plate of cherries alongside the weekend meal. No preparation needed.
One thing worth learning
Tart cherry juice is a useful pantry item through July — it keeps longer than fresh cherries and makes the Hillcrest Spritz more reliable on short notice.