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Cherry fruit

Cherries

Scientific Name:Prunus Avium

Excellent fruit quality. Susceptible to rain splitting. Winter tender and spring frost tender. Yields are not high, with high cull rates. Not self-fertile. Fruit resembles Montmorency. Tart, juicy, meaty flesh with small free pit. Tree is a natural genetic dwarf, growing 8-12' tall. Self fruitful. Hardy to -50oF. Tree is spur-type. Ripens a week later than Montmorency.

The standard for pie cherries. Medium large, bright red fruit with firm yellow flesh. Rich, tart, tangy flavor. Tree grows to 15' tall. Self-fertile.Large fruited Morello type with thin, light red skin, red flesh, red juice with small freestone. Fruit will turn mahogany if left on the tree. Crack resistant. A natural dwarf tree 6-12' tall.

Nutrition Information of Cherries

Principle

Nutrient Value per 100g

Percentage of RDA

Cherry type

Sweet

Tart

Sweet

Tart

Energy

63 cal 50 Kcal

3% 2.5%

Carbohydrates

16.1 g 12.18 g

12% 9%

Protein

1.06 g 1.00 g

2% 2%

Total Fat

0.2 g 0.3 g

1% 1.5%

Cholesterol

0 g 0 g

0% 0%

Dietary Fiber

2.1 g 1.6 g

5.5% 4%

Vitamins

Folates

4 µg 8 µg

1% 2%

Niacin

0.154 mg 0.400 mg

1% 2.5%

Pantothenic acid

0.199 mg 0.143 mg

4% 3%

Pyridoxine

0.049 mg 0.044 mg

4% 3.5%

Riboflavin

0.033 mg 0.040 mg

2.5% 3%

Thiamin

0.027 mg 0.030 mg

2% 2.5%

Vitamin C

7 mg 10 mg

11% 17%

Vitamin A

640IU 1283 IU

21% 43%

Vitamin E

0.07 mg 0.07 mg

0.5% 0.5%

Vitamin K

2.1 µg 2.1 µg

2% 2%

Electrolytes

Sodium

0 mg 3mg

0% 0%

Potassium

222 mg 179mg

5% 4%

Minerals

Calcium

13 mg 16 mg

1.3% 1.6%

Copper

0.060 mg 0.104 mg

7% 11.5%

Iron

0.36 mg 0.32 mg

4.5% 4%

Magnesium

11 mg 9mg

3% 2%

Manganese

0.070 mg 0.112mg

3% 5%

Phosphorus

21 mg 15 mg

3% 2%

Zinc

0.07 mg 0.10 mg

0.5% 0.1%

About Cherries:

Cherry trees are usually grown on Mazzard or Mahaleb seedlings, or clonal selection Mazzard F 12/1 which gives vigorous, standard sized trees. Recently some new rootstocks such as Colt and the Gisela series produce fruit trees from standard size down to 45% of normal. These new root stocks are not yet widely tested in B.C. Semi-dwarf cherry trees may be kept at 12 ft high (3.6 meters).

Cherry trees are vigorous and fast growing. In the nurseries and garden centers, cherry trees range from 5-8 ft tall (1.5 - 2.4 meters). If left alone the fruiting area may not be reached from the ground, necessitating use of ladders. Home gardeners need to think about their needs, namely fruit, shade, lawn mowers, etc. Normally, at planting time trees are headed at 30-40 inches above the ground. If the tree is for shade or if you need to get mowers under the scaffold branches, you may choose to head higher. Cherry trees are trained to an open-center system. Retention of the central leader will result in a tall, narrow tree.

How to buy fresh Cherries?

Excellent as dessert fruit, most sweet cherries found in the food store are produced in the Western States and are available from May through August. Red tart cherries, also called sour or pie cherries and used mainly in cooked desserts, have a softer flesh, lighter red color, and a tart flavor. They generally are shipped to processing plants and are sold frozen or canned.

Look for: A very dark color is your most important indication of good flavor and maturity in sweet cherries. Bing, Black Tartarian, Schmidt, Chapman, and Republican varieties should range from deep maroon or mahogany red to black for richest flavor. Lambert cherries should be dark red. Rainier cherries should be straw-colored. Good cherries have bright, glossy, plump-looking surfaces and fresh-looking stems.

Avoid: Overmature cherries lacking in flavor, indicated by shrivelling, dried stems, and a generally dull appearance. Decay is fairly common at times on sweet cherries, but because of the normal dark color, decayed areas are often inconspicuous. Soft, leaking flesh, brown discoloration, and mold growth are indications of decay.