There are many cherry species, but only a few have been domesticated. The genus Prunus includes other stone fruits such as almond, apricot, plum, peach, and nectarine. Cherries are also a source of a number of vitamins and minerals listed in Table 1.Ĭherry belongs to the genus Prunus of the Rosaceae, or rose family. There is anecdotal and epidemiological evidence that dietary anthocyanin pigments may have preventative and therapeutic roles in a number of human diseases including coronary heart disease, strokes, cancer development, and certain anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory properties. Anthocyanins are one class of flavonoid compounds that are dietary phenolics and they have antioxidant properties. Nutritive value of cherries. Anthocyanin pigments are responsible for the red or purple colors in cherries.

Sweet cherries are grown primarily in California, Oregon, and Washington, but there are smaller acreages in Utah, Montana, Colorado, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. Today tart cherry production is concentrated along the Great Lakes in western Michigan, eastern Wisconsin, western New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania. As settlers moved west, they brought with them fruit trees and seeds of fruit trees, including cherry.

By the mid 1700s more than 20 varieties of grafted trees were offered for sale by a Long Island nursery. There are reports that cherries were grown in abundance in Virginia during the second half of the 17th century. The English colonists grew cherry trees from seed in New England. The French colonists brought cherries to the Canadian Maritime provinces. The Romans brought cherries to England early in the first century, and there were many varieties by the 16th century. Cherries were cultivated in Greece by 300 B.C., and not long after they were grown in Italy. Cherries probably originated in the region between the Caspian and Black Seas, where trees still grow in the wild. The French Impressionist Camille Pissarro immortalized these glorious cherry trees when they were in bloom in springtime in Montmorency.Cherries are grown in many parts of the world, but they have never gained the popularity in North America that they have in Europe and the Middle East. The Montmorency cherry, native to China, found its way to Montmorency, France, a small suburb nine miles from the center of Paris. I bought my tree at Chaves Gardens 10 years ago and it is a gem. The best and most famous sour cherry is the Montmorency. Just give it a quick thought: cherry pie in January. A stockpile of jars of these cherries are prized during the winter. Make a batch of conserves and you are in essence making your own pie filling. Difficult to find and only ripe for three weeks of picking each summer, they are best for making preserves, conserves, sauces, and of course the best cherry pie. When picked you are looking at a bowl of edible rubies. Farmer’s markets or the wonderful roadside stands are your best bet of where to find them sour cherries are not sold in supermarkets, because they are too perishable.Īll of this means that this delicate ruby red orb is a coveted treasure for the culinary minded. The sour cherry season is here and will likely end within the next two weeks. The cherry tree needs to be completely netted or else the wildlife will have cherries jubilee.

Sweet cherries bitter two farm stands