Instructions: * Selection: remember that a red blush on the skin is not a guarantee of quality. Choose fruit with a creamy or yellow background.

* Ripen: Ripe peaches give to gentle palm pressure. Fruit that is firm can be ripened at room temperature in a loosely closed paper bag. Once ripe, peaches will hold in the refrigerator three to four days.

* The flesh of freestone varieties comes away easily from their pits, but you need to peel the fruit for most recipes. Once the skin is removed, to retain color, dip the peaches into citrus juice or sprinkle with commercial ascorbic acid.

To peel a peach:
* Lower peaches into boiling water and blanch for 30 to 40 seconds.

* Remove peaches with slotted spoon, then submerge in ice water.

* Peel skin with small paring knife or slip it off with your fingers.

* Cut around seam, twist the halves apart, then slice each half.

CHERRIES

* Selection: Choose brightly colored, shiny, plump fruit. Sweet cherries should be very firm, but not hard.

* Storage: Washing cherries before storing hastens decay. Refrigerate them dry in a loosely closed bag and wash them before using.

* Almond-like: Because cherry pits have an almond-like flavor, most dessert recipes will be enhanced by a drop or two of almond extract to echo the natural taste.

* Freezing: Cherries can be frozen, pitted or not, for up to a year.

* First, rinse cherries in cold water and drain thoroughly.

* Then spread cherries with stems in a single layer on a baking sheet.

* Freeze until firm, then pack into plastic freezer bags or containers, seal and freeze.

* Or, pit cherries and add 1/3 cup sugar per pint; toss lightly to coat the cherries. Then fill freezer containers, shaking occasionally to pack. Cover tightly and freeze.

To pit a cherry:
* Use a cherry pitter, a great little gadget. But most of us arent so farsighted as to have bought one, much less being able to find it in the drawer when its time to use it.

* The most common way to pit cherries is to grasp the cherry between thumbs and forefingers of both hands and split the fruit, using a thumbnail to poke out the seed. After seeding a quart of cherries this way, your sore thumbs will wish youd tried one of these other methods.

* Yank out the stone with needle-nosed pliers.

* Or push a drinking straw through the bottom of the cherry, forcing the pit up and out the top.

* Or push the cherries firmly down onto the pointed, jagged end of a pastry bag tip. The trick here is to take care not to cut your fingers on the points as they pierce the fruit. In any case, work over a bowl to catch the cherry juices.

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