Tart Cherry Recipes - Homespun Seasonal Living (2024)

FAQs

Which state grows about 70 percent of the world's tart cherries? ›

Michigan has a long history with cherries of all kinds. The state produces 70% of the nation's tart cherries, which you'll often find in baked goods, smoothies and other tasty treats. If you're looking for a juicy snack, seasonal sweet cherries are a favorite summer fruit.

Tart cherries are very juicy and pleasantly acid, making them superior for cooking compared to their sweet cherry relative. Tart cherries are classified into two major groupings, morello and amarelle. Amarelle cherries, such as Montmorency, only have red pigment in the fruit skin while the fruit flesh is clear.

Montmorency tart cherries, also known as sour cherries, are bright red when harvested, and they retain that bold color when dried, frozen or juiced. While there are several varieties of sweet cherries, the most common is Bing. These fresh cherries are quite dark – sometimes almost purple or black.

We are often asked – Can you Freeze Cherries – yes you can! Cherries are very easy to freeze.

Michigan produces about 75% of the total United States tart cherry crop. Utah grows about 8%, New York 5% and Wisconsin 4%. There are also tart cherries grown in Washington, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

Today Traverse City is known nationally as the "Cherry Capital of the World". The five counties around Traverse City make up the region that produces 40 percent of the annual tart cherry crop in the United States. Orchards line the Lake Michigan coast from Benton Harbor to the Grand Traverse Area.

Grown on small family farms in North America, Montmorency tart cherries are truly “The Cherry With More,” with their on-trend sweet-sour taste and unique nutrient profile. Montmorency tart cherries have been studied more than any other type of cherry – and the evidence is growing.

Tart cherries (such as Montmorency) are sometimes sold fresh and can be eaten raw but are more frequently found dried, pressed into juice, or frozen or canned for use as cherry pie filling. Both sweet and tart cherries have potential health benefits.

Tart cherries contain higher amounts of vitamin A and beta-carotene than sweet cherries. The concentration and composition of polyphenols varies between different cultivars of sweet and tart cherries, which makes it difficult to generalize about differences between sweet and tart cherries.

concentrate lowers uric acid, independent of plasma cyanidin-3-O-glucosiderutinoside|authors=Bell et al|journal=Journal of Functional Foods|published=2014-09-28] The vast majority of studies, irrespective of the outcomes examined, had participants consume two daily servings of either 237 mL of tart cherry juice or 30 ...

What does tart cherries do to your body? ›

These babies also contain a boatload of phytonutrients, including anthocyanins. Research suggests that the powerful antioxidants found in tart cherries are linked to a variety of health benefits, including anti-inflammation, heart health, pain relief and muscle recovery.

Today's maraschino cherries are sweet cherries that have been artificially colored to be very bright red. However, when they were first invented, a dark and sour variety called Marasca cherries was used (1).

Dogs can eat cherries safely, as long as you remove the pits and stalks first. These parts of the fruit aren't safe for dogs. Cherries do offer plenty of nutritional benefits: One cup contains 3.23 grams of fiber, 10.8 milligrams of vitamin C, and 342 milligrams of potassium.

State Facts:

Washington is the top U.S. producer of sweet cherries, apples, and pears. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and California are the only states that export sweet cherries. The Washington and Oregon sweet cherry industries employ 20,000 people.

Today, the U. S. cherry industry produces more than 650 million pounds of tart and sweet cherries each year. Much of the cherry production is concentrated in Michigan and the Northwest. Michigan grows about 75 percent of the tart cherry crop. Oregon and Washington harvest about 60 percent of the sweet cherry crop.

Sweet cherries are the variety that you can pluck right from the tree and pop into your mouth. They're perfect for snacks, fresh or frozen. The majority of fresh cherries are produced in Turkey and the United States. You can find most of them on the West Coast, especially in Washington or California.