A few people have been finding quite a few doubles while inspecting their cherries.  Doubles are two cherries which grew together as one.

I am sure you have seen this before.  Many inspectors have been calling these cherries a defect.  According to the USDA, the cherries have to be well formed to be considered as being U.S. No. 1.  These cherries are considered well formed.  As long as the cherries have equally developed halves……and these do, they are not defects.

For future inspections remember to disregard these cherries as being defects, misshapen, as long as there are equal sides to each half.  If you encounter cherries which do not have equal halves (which is somewhat common) then the defect is called not well formed.  Not well formed cherries are scored as quality defects, against the total defect tolerance of 12%