Royal Harvest Maraschino Northwest Noire Cherries with Stem, 72 Ounce | Made with Natural Ingredients | Non-GMO | Premium Dark Cherries

The natural bordeaux maraschino cherries that we received are great! Head-and-shoulders above the regular type we find in local stores; no dyes, no preservatives, less sugar, and firm. Love them. I have read reviews about the natural variety not being the 'traditional' bright red as those in grocery stores. Of course they aren't - those are laden with artificial colors and dyes, these are not! I have also read testimonies that although the person was happy with them when they first arrived, after a few months they developed mold. A 72 ounce jar of these type cherries is huge, and unless used regularly in a reasonable amount of time, of course they won't remain fresh .... they don't have preservatives in them.We use them mainly for refreshment drinks, including Manhattans and Old Fashions; what a wonderful addition they make! When I got mine, I put them in air-tight glass jars; it required two 3/4liter canning jars to hold the 72 ounce tub of cherries. I filled the jar with cherries first, then poured in the juice; enough juice to completely fill both jars of cherries, with about 1/2 cup or so extra I put into another container so that it wouldn't be wasted.We'll certainly be buying more of these wonderful cherries because we feel that the price ($19+) was well worth cherries of this quality, without harmful dyes or preservatives, and because they taste soooo good. Although we're really pleased with the Bordeaux variety, we'll try the regular natural maraschino ones next time, because we're curious about good they are. If I still baked, I'd use them in loaf breads, they'd be awesome in fruit cakes, and for decorating. Hands down the best cherries for cocktails.UPDATE: 11/19/18We went ahead and ordered a jar of the regular natural variety. While we like them and are head-and-shoulders above regular store-bought maraschinos (they are firm, not quite as sweet, and don't have the horrid dyes, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients), both hubby and I prefer the bordeaux variety for our purposes. The natural variety is somewhat sweeter than the bordeaux. Color is not as vibrant as standard store-bought, but that is because they don't have the dyes. Both varieties (bordeaux and natural) are by far a tastier, healthier, and more economical choice.