The individual sugars and anthocyanidins in processing‐grade ‘Dawson’ and ‘Bing’ cherries and cherry products were investigated in order to assess the quality of the processed fruit. Glucose, fructose, and relatively high levels of sorbitol were found in fresh and frozen cherries of both cultivars. During glaceing, sucrose was predictably absorbed by the fruit but glucose was preferentially leached into the glaceing syrups. In contrast, sorbitol is preferentially lost during the manufacture of cherry leathers. Cyanidin was the only anthocyanidin detected in both cherry cultivars. ‘Dawson’ and ‘Bing’ frozen cherries contained cyanidin levels of 76 mg/100 g and 74 mg/100 g wet weight of fruit flesh respectively. Processing the cherries to give glace cherries and cherry leathers reduced the cyanidin contents by 9 to 30%. The reduction in cyanidin due to processing was organoleptically acceptable.