Abstract: In order to determine the timely harvesting period of cherry fruits, the EBF cherry fruits of 4 harvesting periods were regarded as the research objects, and five quality indicators of the EBF cherry fruits in each period were analyzed. The results showed that the hardness and brightness of the fruit with 70% maturity（yellow）was the highest; the fruit with 100% maturity （dark red）was the lowest one; the red-green saturation（a*）of fruit with 80% maturity（pink）was the highest; the fruit with 100% maturity（dark red）had the lowest one; the soluble protein, soluble sugar and Vc of the fruit with 100% maturity（dark red）was the highest, and the fruit with 80% maturity（pink）had the lowest one. According to comprehensive analysis of the index membership function, the quality of the fruit with 70% maturity（yellow）were the best; the second was the fruit with 100% maturity（dark red）; the fruit with 90% maturity（red）and the fruit with 80% maturity（pink）were a little bad. Therefore, the fruit with 70% maturity（yellow）was rated as the main harvesting period for long-term storage of EBF cherry fruit; the fruit with 90% maturity（red）was regarded as the main harvesting period for short-term storage and fresh food of EBF cherry fruit.

Key words: cherry, quality, harvesting period