Cherry is one of those fruits that are as inviting outside as they taste inside. Cherry plants are best known for edible fruits with succulent texture, flavor, and gorgeous looks, belonging to the Prunus genus family. Though these plants are now grown anywhere, cherries are native to the Northern Hemisphere. But have you ever wondered how many different types of cherries are there? Yes! Usually available in canned and frozen form, you can also consume cherries raw. We have curated the list of different cherry types you can find in this article. Read on!
Basic Categories Of Cherries:
Although cherries have different classifications, we have listed you with the significant categories of cherry types:
Sweet Cherry:
You will find the sweet-tasting and incredible juicy texture are in the Dark red cherries. You can add their cherries to your dishes to add fruitiness and sweetness or even eat them fresh and raw. Primarily grown in California, Washington, and Oregon, some common sweet cherries are Bing, Lambert, and Golden-toned rainier.
Tart Cherry:
As the name suggests, Tart cherries often have a tart or even sour flavor and are ideal for baking and sweets. Primarily grown in Michigan and Wisconsin, Tart cherries’ most common types are the Montmorency cherry and the Morella cherry, among many others.
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15 Different Types Of Cherries With Images:
Cherries look not only beautiful but also taste exceptional. We have presented you with the different cherry varieties you can find globally.
1. Attika Cherry:
Originating in the Czech Republic, the Attika cherry made its way into the United States. These typically fruit-bearing cherry trees are ready for harvesting in the mid to late season, grown in five through seven zones.
Attika cherry fruit has a crunchy, firm texture, is dark red, and tastes sweet. These cherries are in the shape of a heart, large and long. Attika cherries are ideal for transport across long distances because they are durable.
2. Benton Cherry:
The Benton cherry tree is one of the very few self-pollinating cherry trees. Developed at the Washing State University, this is a hearty type of cherry tree. However, a Benton cherry tree needs sunlight to flourish, bloom, and bear fruit.
Benton cherry fruits are medium to large, beautiful red shade, have a wonderful sweet flavor, and bloom late in the cherry season. These cherries have a great aftertaste and are firm.
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3. Bing Cherry:
Bing cherry trees are pretty sweet, dark red, and round, unlike many other cherry types. Though these cherries are small, they pack a lot of punch and often encounter great-tasting cherries in grocery stores. As riper they are, these cherries the darker they get.
Consumption of Bing cherry is known to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases in adults. It is a sweet type cultivar and is originated in the Pacific Northwest, in Milwaukie, Oregon, U.S.
4. Chelan Cherry:
Originated in Washington, the Chelan cherry is named after the state’s well-known mountain peak. Chelan cherry is also called ‘black berry’ because of its dark red color, almost bordering black. These cherries are resistant to cracking and are heart-shaped and round. Compared to other cherries, Chelan cherries have a longer shelf life and are visually appealing.
Chelan cherries ripen in mid-June with a mild and sweet taste. These cherries come to harvest almost two weeks sooner than the Bing variety cherry. These cherries are a perfect option for preparing various dishes because Chelan cherries have a wonderful flavor and 20% sugar.
5. Early Robin Cherry:
The Early Robin cherry fruits are the yellow cherry varieties with red hints on their skin, discovered by a Washington orchardist in 1990. The Early Robin cherries are an ideal choice for fancy desserts or snacking by the handful because these heart-shaped cherries have a sweet flavor.
Early Robin cherries are also called Early Robin Rainier as they are considered a Rainier cherry type. The riping season for the Early Robin cherries is in late spring through early summer.
6. Rainier Cherry:
Rainier cherries are the yellow cherry varieties grown near Mount Rainier, hence the name. This cherry type has a red and yellow appearance and is sweet and flavorful. Rainier cherries have creamy flesh and tend to be more watery than dark or sweet cherry varieties.
The Rainier cherry is a tasty cherry type and is truly versatile and can make cherry salads. Unfortunately, the supply and demand of the rainier cherries make their price higher. People are willing to pay more for Rainier cherries because they are available only for a short window.
7. Lambert Cherry:
Lambert cherries are the types of red cherries that originated in Oregon around 1848. Though they are late bloomers, these cherries are wonderfully juicy with a sweet and rich flavor. Lambert cherry trees flourish in the Pacific Northwest and are a hardy cherry tree variety. The Lambert cherries can either be heart-shaped or round. These cherry trees result from cross-breeding between a Mary Duke cherry and a Napolean cherry.
8. Montmorency Cherry:
Montmorency cherries are tart cherry varieties with a slightly sour taste. This variety of sour cherry is found mainly in the Grand Traverse Bay region of Northwest Michigan, Door County, Wisconsin, and generally in Europe, Canada, and the United States.
The Montmorency cherries are also sold in concentrated and dried form. It is ideal for making pastries, smoothies, and trail mixes because of its sour flavor. In addition, the pleasing oval shape of these cherries is lovely to look at and can be found on standard and dwarf rootstocks.
9. Morello Cherry:
Morello cherry is the best known sour cherry variety with dark red and can even border on a black hue. Compared to the other typical sweet cherries, they are smaller and can produce much fruit. Morello cherries are often used in their candied form because of their sour taste.
The most famous morello orchards are found in Germany and Hungary. However, these cherries are cultivated extensively in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, the Balkans, and the Caucasus. The richness and unique consistency of Morello cherry types make them a perfect ingredient for pies and crisps alike.
10. Queen (Royal) Anne Cherry:
Royal Anne is a yellow cherry variety called Queen Anne cherry. These cherry trees flourish in places with a temperate climate. Per season, these trees can produce up to 50 pounds of cherries.
Queen Anne cherries look similar to Rainier cherries with red and gold color and taste more tart than sweet. However, these cherries are versatile and delicious because of their perfect sweet-and-sour taste. You can use Queen Anne cherry in several baking dishes, and they are usually soaked in sweetner and salt before use.
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11. Regina Cherry:
Regina cherry is one of the dark cherry varieties originating in Germany around 1981. These cherries have square shoulders, are extremely large, and prefer cooler climates. The leaves of Regina cherry are oblong and dark green, whereas the cherries are dark red.
The appearance of Regina cherries is almost black like black cherry but has a crunchy texture and mild flavor. These cherries blossom in the cherry season’s late part.
12. Santina Cherry:
Satina cherries originated during the 1970s in British Columbia, Canada. The Satina cherry tree is self-fertile and is in dark red. But suppose there is another sweet cherry nearby. In that case, the fruits of Satina cherries will be plumper and has a plentiful harvest.
The Santina cherry fruit has a firm texture and sweet taste, and it is low in acid content. These cherries are medium-size, have a deep-red flesh, are slightly flat, and are in the shape of a heart
13. Stardust Cherry:
Stardust is one of the sweet cherries with red blush with a yellow appearance. These cherries are heart-shaped, flat, and large, originating in Canada around 1985. Stardust cherries have a firm texture and mild and sweet flavor. This cherry cultivar has clear skin that makes the creamy-white flesh visible to the naked eye. A late bloomer arrives about a week after Bing, Regina, and Skeena, usually ripe in July in the U.K.
14. Tieton Cherry:
Tieton cherry is a large cherry variety that originated in Washington State and has a glossy appearance, thick skin, and mahogany-red color. The Tieton cherry has a firm texture, mild and sweet in taste. The visibly impressive cherry types are ideal for displays because of their glossy finish. These cherry trees bloom six to nine days early than Bing cherry.
15. Van Cherry:
Van cherry is the sweet, dark red flesh and black skin type of cherry fruit. It has a firm texture and sweet flavor and originated in Canada in the mid-1940s. These cherries are usually round or heart-shaped and are medium-sized.
Van cherries ripen about three days before Bing cherries are ripened mid-season. Apart from Canada, these cherries are also grown in Australia and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. These cherries are frequently used in sauces, jellies, and jams and can also be used as snacks.
Explain Common Cherry Tree Varieties:
Here are some of the common cherry tree varieties. They are:
- Coral cherry tree.
- Chelan cherry tree.
- Rainier cherry tree.
- Bing cherry tree.
- Early robin cherry tree.
- Black Tartarian cherry tree.
- Tulare cherry tree.
- Van cherry tree.
- Glenmore cherry tree and many more.
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Interesting Facts About Cherries:
Cherries are stone fruits related to nectarines, peaches, and plums. Here are some facts about Cherries that you might find interesting.
- It is believed that around 70 B.C., the sweet cherry originated in the area between the Caspian seas in Asia Minor and the Black sea.
- Britain was introduced to Sweet cherries in the first century A.D> by the Romans.
- The English colonists brought the cherries to North America in the 1600s.
- As per records, cherries were a prized food in the China region dating back to 600 BC. Their fruits were cherished by locals and fit for royalty.
- Though fewer than ten are produced commercially, there are more than 1,000 cherry varieties in the United States.
- In one pound, there are about 44 cherries, on average.
- A sweet cherry tree will produce 800 cherries in an average crop year.
- Although they are popular dessert fruit, cherries were used for medicinal purposes in the 15th and 16th centuries.
- Despite the short fruiting season, Americans consume 1.5 pounds of cherries each year.
Cherries are fruits that look beautiful and have a yummy taste and several nutrients. We hope this article has given you an insight into different cherry types and all their characteristics. Don’t forget to let us know if you found this article helpful!
FAQ:
1. Which Type Of Cherry Tree Is Ideal In Limited Space?
Sweetheart cherry tree blossoms are an ideal investment for cherry lovers with limited space as they are self-pollinating. The fruits of this tree have darl or bright red flesh, are medium size and are round to heart shape.
2. Which Is The Heaviest Cherry Grown?
On June 21, 2003, Gerardo Maggipinto (Italy) grew the heaviest cherry, which weighed 0.76 oz.
3. Are There Any Side Effects Of Consuming Cherries?
Cherries can be very beneficial for the health of your body. There are no known side effects of consuming cherries. But to rule out any G.I. discomfort or stomach pain, consult a doctor before consuming cherries.
4. What Types Of Cherries Are Suitable For Pie Preparation?
Bing and Rainier cherries are sweet cherry varieties that are most suitable for preparing pies because these types of cherries can be found fresh. In contrast, it is challenging to find fresh sour cherries.
5. What Is The Difference In The Consumption Of Sweet And Tart Cherry?
The consumption of sweet cherries is often done as a snack and eaten fresh. Though it is harder to find them out of season, they are primarily sold in supermarkets. On the other hand, tart cherries are easily found and enjoyed year-round because they are often dried, pressed into cherry juice, or frozen or concentrated.
Disclaimer: The information provided in the article is based on research and for informational and educational purposes. The website is not responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of the information.
