PRUNUS, VARIOUS SPECIES

THERE COMES a time in late June when the cherries are at their peak of quality, and that alone makes it one of my favorite times of the year. Whoever said “Life is just a bowl of cherries” must have been one happy, well-adjusted person. Whether it’s fresh cherries out of hand, cherry-vanilla ice cream, or cherries jubilee, these little fruits brighten our lives.

THE ORGANIC FACTOR

While sweet cherries are susceptible to rots, sour pie cherries are disease resistant. I have seen sour cherry trees laden with bright red fruit sitting happily in the late spring rains, unsprayed, while a nearby Black Tartarian sweet cherry crop was nearly entirely taken by brown rot. Organic sweet cherry growers aren’t entirely at the mercy of the fungi, however. Bordeaux mixture (elemental sulfur mixed with slaked lime) and even a weak alkaline solution of baking soda are allowed in organic culture as fungicides. These compounds do not wreak havoc in the orchard ecosystem.
Another solution is for cherry breeders to make hybrids of sweet and sour cherries—in fact, most modern cherry hybrids (called Royal, Duke, or dual-purpose cherries) are the product of such natural crosses. They are valued for their hardiness, disease resistance, and good cooking qualities.

When buying cherries, it’s especially important to find organic sweet cherries because conventional cherries are one of the most heavily sprayed crops.

NUTRITION

Sweet cherries are high in sugar (about 10 percent), have good stores of potassium, but are relatively low in vitamin C (11 milligrams per 100 grams of fruit). Acerola sour cherries have higher vitamin C levels. Dark-colored cherries are high in antioxidants.

TYPES

All told, there are 900 varieties of sweet cherries and 300 of sour cherries sold in the world’s markets. Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) are the ones we most often find fresh at our markets. They can contain as much as 20 percent sugar, which makes them perfect for eating out of hand.
Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus), also called pie cherries, are sour because they contain an abundance of acid, but when mixed with sugar and used for cherry pie or cobblers, their tartness is one of their features. Their high acidity also makes them more disease and bird-resistant than sweet cherries. There are two categories of sour cherries. Amarelle, such as the Montmorency variety, are light-colored with clear juice. Griotte, such as the Morello and North Star varieties, are dark with colored juice.

SEASONALITY

Sweet cherries are the first stone fruit to ripen; their season runs from May to July. The earliest cherries lack the rich flavor of midseason ones and often show a tendency to split or separate into disfigured twins. Then come the so-called white or yellow cherries, usually Rainier or Royal Ann. The Bings arrive in mid-June and by the end of June are at their peak.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Look for whole, fresh cherries with bright, rather than dull, skins without splits or blemishes. They should be firm rather than soft. Cherries grow in pairs and you should find a pair with their stems still joined together.
Organic sweet cherries are mostly sold fresh, but they are also frozen to be sold in supermarkets.  ....read more