All About: Cherries
Handling Cherries
Tips
Yield
Substitution
Nutrition
The cherry originated in Asia and was widely dispersed throughout Europe and North America during prehistoric times. When European colonists arrived, they were delighted to find wild cherry trees and began cultivating and eventually crossbreeding them with European varieties. Today the United States is the world's leading producer of cherries.
There are two categories of cherries: sweet and tart. Among the sweet, the Bing is king, developed in 1875 by Seth Luelling in Milwaukie, Oregon. Seth named it after his farm's Manchurian foreman. Next in popularity are Lambert and Rainier cherries. California, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah produce most of the sweet cherries we enjoy in a short season—June through about the middle of August.
Over 75 percent of the nation's crop of tart cherries comes from a five-county area around Traverse City, Michigan. About 200 million pounds of mostly Montmorency and Morello cherries are harvested in an even shorter season than sweet cherries; it begins and ends in July.
At the market, choose cherries that are shiny and plump, have bright color, and are free from dents, cuts, and blemishes. The stem should be attached and green, not brown and dry.
Handling Cherries
Treat cherries like berries—gently. Store cherries uncovered in the refrigerator. They will keep about five days. Wash just before serving or using in a recipe.
How to Cook
To pit cherries for cooking use a cherry pitter, and pit them over a bowl to save the juices. If you do not have a cherry pitter you can use the tip of a vegetable peeler or the tip of a pointed knife.
Sour cherries taste best when cooked. You can make a quick topping for ice cream by combining pitted and halved sour cherries with a little water or brandy and sugar to taste and cooking gently over low heat about 5 minutes until the cherries are just soft.
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Tips
- To take advantage of the short season, you can freeze cherries. Wash and dry them and place them on a tray in a single layer and freeze for 4 to 5 hours. Pack in a zip-top bag, and keep frozen to enjoy later in the year.
- Chocolate and cherries are a great flavor combination. Try chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla on cherry pie. Remember chocolate-covered cherries?
- Almond extract heightens the flavor of baked cherry desserts. If your recipe does not call for it, try adding 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon.
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Yield
1 pound of cherries will yield about 2-1/2 to 3 cups pitted.
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Substitution
Frozen cherries work very well when allowed to defrost slowly in the refrigerator before using. Canned are also available.
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Nutrition
Cherries are a good source of fiber and vitamin C. One cup (about 21 cherries, or 5 ounces) contains 270 mg potassium, no fat, no sodium, no cholesterol, and 90 calories. Cherries also contain flavonoids and other phytochemicals.
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