Description

Cherry is the fruit of many plants that belong to the genus Prunus. It is a fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central stone. There are two main types of cherries; sweet and sour. Within each type, there are many varieties of cherries. Sour cherries, have low sugar content and may be juicy. They are best used in desserts, jams, jellies, and sauces where they are added with large amounts of sugar or creamy ingredients to balance their tartness. Two popular varieties of tart cherries are Montmorency and Morello. Tart cherries are used to make dried cherries too. These cherries are coated with sugar to balance their sourness. Sweet cherries have a high sugar content and are juicy too. They vary in color from light yellow to a dark mahogany color. They are considered best for eating fresh than cooking. The most popular variety of sweet cherries are Bing cherries, while other varieties include Tulare, Lambert, Chelan, and Lapin. Cherries were introduced to America by the early settlers during the 1600s. Then, Frenchmen from Normandy brought cherry seeds, thus cherry trees became a part of the gardens of Frenchmen as they established cities such as Detroit and Vincennes. Slowly and eventually cherry was introduced to the rest of Europe, then the rest of the world. Cherry is a much loved fruit in today's times and is available fresh, dried and even canned. It is available fresh during summer months.

Health benefits

• Cherries are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which helps prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.⁽¹⁾
• Due to the anti-inflammatory compounds, cherries decrease inflammation by suppressing inflammatory proteins, which gives relief in arthritis and also they can decrease uric acid levels in the body, thus helping in improving gout condition.⁽¹⁾
• Consuming tart cherries, especially in the form of juice and powder, helps improve athletic performance and reduces exercise-induced muscle pain soreness.⁽¹⁾
• They also contain melatonin which may improve sleep.⁽¹⁾

Selection Guide

Choose those cherries that have firm and glossy skin without any blemishes, soft spots or wrinkles on the fruit. Those cherries which have stems attached are fresher than cherries without stems. Darker cherries are usually fresher than light-colored cherries.