Cherry
Also called Wild cherry · Gean · Gean, wild cherryPrunus avium · Rosaceae family
An umbrella for sweet and sour cherries, with variety differences hidden beneath familiar colors.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
A Bing cherry has firm, juicy flesh and a rich sweetness; a Rainier has firm, sweet flesh under yellow skin with a red blush. Both are sweet cherries. Tart cherries bring the sharper flavour that fills pies, sauces and even a chilled Hungarian soup.
What it is
Sweet cherries are Prunus avium; sour or tart cherries are Prunus cerasus. Both belong to the rose family. The flesh surrounds a hard stone, and sweet cherries hang on long stems.
A Rainier is a yellow cherry with a red blush, and its flesh is firm, finely textured and sweet. Sour cherries are round and red, with the sharp taste their name suggests.
Where it comes from
Sweet cherries are native across Europe, northern Africa and western Asia as far as Afghanistan. Sour cherries come from Europe and southwest Asia. English colonists brought cherries to America in 1629, and in the 1800s pioneers and fur traders carried sweet cherries west.
Washington grows the most cherries in the US, and California comes second. In India, Jammu and Kashmir grows varieties called Double, Makhmali, Mishri and Italy.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Hungary, meggy leves turns sour cherries into a cold soup. The fruit simmers with sugar, then sour cream gives the soup its body. It arrives as a first course, or as dessert with another spoonful of cream.
In Limousin, France, clafoutis bakes whole cherries in a batter of eggs, milk, flour and sugar, with a texture like a set flan. Sweet cherries also work straight from the bowl; tart cherries commonly become pies, jams and sauces.
How it's grown
Cherry trees lose their leaves in winter and flower white in spring. Growers graft a chosen variety onto roots that help control the tree’s final size. Tart trees usually begin cropping in 3–5 years; sweet trees take 4–7.
Most sweet cherries need pollen from another compatible sweet variety, carried by bees. Tart cherries can fruit on their own. California’s fresh-market cherries are picked by hand with their stems on, then cooled in chilled water. They do not ripen further after picking.
When and where you'll find it
California’s cherry harvest usually runs from mid-April to early or mid-June. Northwest sweet cherries follow, usually from mid-June through August. In northern Michigan, sweet-cherry picking at King Orchards usually begins around July 4 and lasts about three weeks.
Fresh cherries have a short season on each tree. Dried, frozen and canned cherries carry their flavour beyond the harvest; frozen sour cherries also work in the Hungarian soup.
Sources · 9
- California Cherry Boardcalcherry.com
- Gebbers Farmsgebbersfarms.com
- Government of India, Press Information Bureau (2021)pib.gov.in
- King Orchardskingorchards.comOther pages2
- Limousin Tourismvisitlimousin.com
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolboxplants.ces.ncsu.eduOther pages2
- Northwest Cherry Growers (2024)nwcherries.com
- Oregon Historical Society, The Oregon Encyclopediaoregonencyclopedia.org
- Penn State Extensionextension.psu.edu
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What it tastes like
As sweet as a banana, crisper than a blueberry≈
More about the taste
Sweet cherries are eaten fresh or cooked; sour cherries are usually used in baking, sauces and preserves, though they can be eaten fresh too.
Sweet cherries are eaten fresh or cooked; sour cherries are usually used in baking, sauces and preserves, though they can be eaten fresh too.
Named sweet varieties vary in firmness, aroma and acidity; sour cherries are notably more acidic.
Choose, ripen, store, eat
1ChooseColor alone
Ignore
- Color alone
Cherry color ranges from yellow through red to nearly black depending on variety. A red blush or pale background can be normal, and color doesn't show how sweet a cherry is.
2RipenDoesn’t ripen after picking
Doesn’t ripen after pickingCherries don't ripen further after picking, so choose them ripe. Leaving an unripe cherry on the counter won't help, unlike a pear.
3StoreFreezer, washed, stemmed, pitted
- FreezerWashed, stemmed, pittedSingle layer before packing
To freeze cherries, wash, stem and pit them, then freeze in a single layer before packing, so the pieces stay separate.
4Eatnot stems, pits
Not eaten
StemsPitsRinse cherries under cold running water and remove stems and pits as needed. Avoid soaking them. For canning, follow a tested preservation procedure rather than improvising.
Detroit, Michigan
When it’s good hereUsual monthsJust arrivedAt their bestLast chanceAll yearWhere it is in its usual monthsToday, Oct 22Grown hereIn season in your stateShips fromIn season where it grows
35 growing areas, 15 countriesUsual monthsOur estimated monthsToday, Oct 22
- Araucanía
- Baden-Württemberg
- Balochistan
- British Columbia
- California
- Coquimbo
- Ferrara
- Gelderland
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Kerman
- Massachusetts
- Nagano
- New South Wales
- Ontario
- Queensland
- Shandong
- South Australia
- Valparaíso
- Yamagata
- Yunnan
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0 of 22 areas · October
Growing areas by country
- Australia6
- Chile5
- France4
- China3
- Japan3
- United States3
- Canada2
- United Kingdom2
and 10 more countriesand 7 more countries
Different varieties mature at different times, and an individual tree's harvest window is relatively short.
3 varieties
52 names in 12 languages
Cook it
21 cherry festivalsUsual monthToday, Oct 22
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If you like Cherry
Tastes alike
Close relatives
Sources
Photos · 1
Sources
Cherry · Fruitopia · checked Sep 22, 2026