Cherry

Cherries

By: Marie Morud

Have you ever heard the idiom “with a cherry on top”?  The phrase is often used when someone is asking for something or describing something in the most pleasant way.  It means to make something that is already good, even better, or perfect.  It stems from the practice of adding a cherry as the final touch to cakes or sundaes.  Cherries are also used to describe items in like-new or “cherry” condition.  This stems from cherry trees being among the first tree fruits to ripen each summer.  

Cherries first came to America in the 1600s via ship by English Colonists.  Originating in Asia Minor, between the Black and Caspian seas, cherries were likely brought to Europe by birds.  Greeks were the first to cultivate cherries, and later expanded in Rome.  In the 1800s, sweet cherries made their way to the northwestern United States, whereas tart cherries began being planted in Northern Michigan.  This region has been the top growing producer of tart cherries ever since, as the cool lake breeze and ideal climate make perfect growing conditions for Montmorency and Haskap tart cherries.  Because of their tart or sour flavor, Montmorency cherries are most commonly processed and used for jams and pie fillings.

Washington state is the number one producer of sweet cherries, followed by Oregon and California.  The most common varieties grown are Rainier, Lambert, and Bing cherries, accounting for 95% of sweet cherry production in the northwestern US.  Sweet varieties are most commonly eaten fresh.  

It takes 6 years after planting a cherry tree for it to produce its first crop.  Peak cherry season spans from June into August.  The US produces 650 million pounds of tart and sweet cherries each year, the most of any country in the world.  While many of our cherries stay stateside, we do export some, mostly to Canada and Asia.  During other times of the year, we import cherries mainly from Chile.

Cherries, genus Prunus, are part of the rose (Rosaceae) family of flowering plants, including almonds, peaches, plums, and apricots.  These fruits with single stony seeds are also known as drupes or stone fruit.  There are around 430 species in this genus, native to the temperate regions of North America.