Cherry Facts and
Nutrition Information
Cherries are drupes, or stone fruits, related to
plums and more distantly to peaches and
nectarines. They have been enjoyed since the Stone
Age-pits were found in several Stone Age caves in
Europe. The Romans carried cherries throughout
Europe and England along the routes of conquest.
Cherries are grown in several regions of this
country, but seventy percent of the cherries
produced in the United States come from four
states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah).
|
Cherries |
|
Serving Size (73g)
|
Amounts Per Serving |
% Daily Value |
|
Calories 50 |
|
|
Calories from Fat 0 |
|
|
Total Fat 1g |
1% |
|
Saturated Fat 0g |
0% |
|
Cholesterol 0mg |
0% |
|
Sodium 0mg |
0% |
|
Total Carbohydrate
12g |
4% |
|
Dietary Fiber 2g |
8% |
|
Sugars 10g |
|
|
Protein 1g |
|
|
Vitamin A |
4% |
|
Vitamin C |
8% |
|
Calcium |
2% |
|
Iron |
2% |
* Percent Daily Values
are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. |
|
|
There are two main types of
cherries: sweet and sour. Sour cherries are lower in
calories and higher in vitamin C and beta carotene
than sweet cherries.
Sour
Montgomery
This variety is the best known sour cherry or
tart cherry. It is mostly canned or frozen for use
as pie filling or sauce.
Sweet
Bing
This variety is the best known sweet cherry. It
is large, round, extra-sweet and has a purple-red
flesh and a deep red skin that is close to black
when fully ripe. The Bing is available from the end
of May until early August.
Lambert
This variety is the second most popular sweet
cherry. It is smaller than the Bing and is more
heart shaped. It has a dark-red skin and a rich
flavor. Lamberts are available a bit longer than the
Bing, usually until the end of August.
Rainer
This variety is sweet with a yellow or pinkish
skin. It is milder and sweeter than the Bing.
However, this variety is grown in limited
quantities.
Royal Ann
This variety has a blush-yellow skin and is
often canned or
 made
into maraschino cherries.
Selection
Buy cherries that have been
kept cool and moist, as flavor and texture both
suffer at warm temperatures. Cherries have a limited
growing season and any fresh cherries grown in the
United States sold after August probably came from
cold storage. Small quantities of sweet cherries are
imported from New Zealand during the winter months,
but these may be difficult to find.
At the market, pick a handful
of cherries at a time and only select the best
fruit. This may be time-consuming, but the reward
will be better cherries. Good cherries should be
large (one inch or more in diameter), glossy, plump,
hard and dark-colored for their variety. Buy
cherries with stems on — they should be fresh and
green. Reject undersized cherries or those that are
soft or flabby. Avoid fruit that is bruised or has
cuts on the dark surface.
If you find many damaged
fruits at the market, consider buying cherries
somewhere else, as a number of spoiled cherries will
start the others to decay.
Storage
Loosely pack unwashed cherries
in plastic bags or pour them into a shallow pan in a
single layer and cover with plastic wrap to minimize
bruising. Store cherries in the refrigerator and
cherries in good condition should last up to a week.
Check the fruit occasionally and remove the cherries
that have gone bad. Wash the fruit before eating.
You can freeze cherries by
rinsing and draining thoroughly, spreading them out
in a single layer on a cookie sheet and placing in
the freezer overnight. Once the cherries are frozen,
transfer them to a heavy plastic bag. The frozen
fruit may be kept up to a year.
 Preparation
Most cherries bought at the
market are eaten raw, alone or accompanied by other
fruits. Simply wash the fruit and serve with the
stems.
For cooking, pit cherries either by hand or with a
pitter. Poaching is the most common form of
preparation. Drop cherries into a small amount of
simmering water, or a combination of water and wine,
and cook for one to three minutes until soft. Poach
using the formula of one cup liquid to two cups
cherries.
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