 True Name/ Common Name:
Cherry – Prunus _______ Cherries are divided at the species level under the genus prunus. Description of Look and Flavor:
Cherries are drupes, which signifies that their fruit has a stone in the center that protects the seed. The fruit of this tree is a small, smooth berry-ish orb that can be yellow or various shades of red. They should either be completely smooth or have just one groove on one side. Cherries are mouthwateringly sweet and have a very short growing season so people go into a frenzy when cherry season comes around. Growth Period/ Harvest –
In Australia the peak of the season is right around Christmas. In Southern Europe and The United States the peak is in June and in The U.K. mid-July. Nutritional Info –
The cherry anthocyanins, which make the pigment in cherries, have been found to reduce pain and inflammation. They also have high levels of melatonin which aids the immune system, helps regulate sleep, and may also help to prevent heart attacks. Other Uses –
The maraschino cherry came on to the scene in the early 1900’s and brought the cherry to the forefront of everyone’s attention. Originally it was any kind of cherry that was pickled in seawater to preserve them and then soaked in a liqueur, called maraschino, made from marasca cherries. They were such an unbelievable hit that many people attempted to duplicate them without the specific liqueur, so that now a maraschino cherry usually means any cherry soaked in some kind of alcohol. History –
In the early 1900’s, the cherry and alcohol brought a whole new feel to social drinking. It was all of a sudden fashionable, elegant, elite, and delicious.
Interesting Facts/ Misnomers -
In many parts of the United States cherries are the first fruits to ripen. Hence the association with cherry to mean first or prime condition. Ernest Weigand single handedly saved Oregon from over planting of cherries that they couldn’t sell before they softened. Weigand discovered that if you add calcium to the brine that they soaked in they would tighten back up and be firm. This allowed Oregon to sell their maraschino cherries to the east coast who had previously had a love affair with the Italian cherries because of their firmness.
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