Cherries in the Garden and the Kitchen

Cherries in the Garden

Cherry trees provide interest in the landscape throughout all four seasons. Their bark is a lovely silver-gray with horizontal striations, known as lenticels. Although not as beautiful as the legendary Japanese ornamental cherry tree blossoms, flowers on fruiting cherry trees are nonetheless lovely, with their pink or white blooms covering the tree in spring. Fruit color can vary, based on cultivar, from yellow to red to deep purple-black. The cherries themselves are beautiful drupes. Even the tree’s form can be of interest if the tree has been pruned well.

Cherry trees are from the genus Prunus, as are peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots. All of these are considered stone fruit because of the large, hard pit in the fruit’s center. Native to Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, humans have consumed cherries for thousands of years. Cherries are ubiquitous in literature, art, lore, and, of course, in cuisines. Many cultivars have been developed and continue to be developed.

Cherries are divided into two broad categories. Tart, also known as acid, sour, or pie cherries (Prunus cerasus), are generally cooked and used in baked goods, jams, and sauces. Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) can be eaten fresh or cooked. Tart cherries are self-fruitful. Most sweet cherries are not self-fruitful and will need a different, yet specific, sweet cherry cultivar planted nearby to act as a pollinizer.  Several newer cultivars of sweet cherries are self-fruitful, but all self-fruitful sweet and tart cherries will provide larger harvests when a different cultivar is planted nearby. Sweet and tart cherries cannot act as pollinizers for each other. Cherries need pollinators, so be kind to these insects in your garden.

Selecting the right cultivar for your garden is something that you will need to research. First, grow what you love to eat. As a species, tart cherry trees are generally smaller than sweet cherry trees. Tart cherries are also generally hardier (USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8) than sweet cherries (USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9). Tart cherries usually provide a crop in 3 to 5 years, sweet cherries in 4 to 7 years. Yield depends on the size and variety of tree, available nutrients, quality of soil, quantity of sunshine, and the weather. The Penn State Master Gardener Manual contains a list of cultivars that do well in Pennsylvania.

Choose a site with full sun, good drainage, protection from high winds, and enough space for the mature size of the tree. Select a 1-year-old whip with a good root system. Plant the whip in early to mid-spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. Cherry tree cultivars will be grafted onto various rootstocks.  The mature tree size is determined by the rootstock, be it considered standard, semi-dwarf, or dwarf. When planting, make sure that the bud union (the graft of cultivar to rootstock) is 1 to 2 inches above ground.

Pruning during the first few years is essential to develop an appropriate structure for long-term health and productivity. Cherry fruit spurs can last 10 to 12 years, so a mature cherry tree may need less annual pruning than other stone and pome fruit trees. Cherry trees can be successfully espaliered into fan shapes. Besides pruning, other yearly maintenance can include fertilization, weed control, mulching, and watering, if needed. Refer to the Penn State articles listed at the end of this article for specifics of planting, training systems, pruning, and maintenance.

Cherry trees can be attacked by many pests and diseases. Their fruit is loved by birds as well as small and large mammals. The name of the sweet cherry species, Prunus avium, means “bird cherry.”  The straight species grows quite tall, and its harvest is devoured by those that can reach it most easily – birds. Smaller trees are easier to net to keep out birds that would consume all those just-ripe cherries.

Diseases include cherry leaf spot, powdery mildew, rhizopus rot, and bacterial canker. Insect pests include cherry and black cherry fruit flies, peach tree borer, and plum curculio. Routine maintenance and using good cultural methods can keep your tree healthier and better able to withstand attacks.

Pick cherries once they are ripe on the tree, as they will not ripen further once picked. Be gentle when harvesting the cherries because you’ll want to avoid harming the long-lived fruiting spurs. A ladder (or an accommodating adolescent who enjoys climbing trees and eating cherries) might be helpful. The harvest season is short for an individual tree. Note that sweet cherries tend to crack if excessive rainfall happens near harvest.  Plan your harvest date accordingly and, perhaps, select a cultivar that is less susceptible to this tendency.

Cherries in the Kitchen

Cherries will need to be properly washed before being eaten or preserved. Rinse cherries in a colander under cold running water. Toss or agitate the fruit while rinsing. Do not soak the cherries in water. Remove stems and, if desired, remove pits.

Removing the pits can be work. Different tools exist. The act of squeezing one hand-held tool punches the pit from the cherry. I prefer to use a piece of equipment that was developed to make the pitting process easier. A few cups of cherries are placed in the container. One by one, they drop into a hopper. The pit is removed and captured by pressing on a stainless-steel plunger, the pitted cherry is directed elsewhere, and the next cherry enters the hopper for pitting. Although less time-consuming, it is still an effort that will ache the shoulder after pitting several pounds of cherries.

Sweet cherries can be eaten fresh. Tart cherries are perhaps too sour for fresh eating and instead become ingredients in baked or cooked recipes such as pies, scones, and interesting salsas.

The flavor of cherries pairs well with cinnamon, lemon, orange, vanilla, almonds, chocolate, and some game and poultry.

Cherries are not only delicious, they are also full of vitamins A, C, and E, minerals, and phytonutrients that include antioxidants. This fruit is also high in melatonin and serotonin.  

To prolong the use of cherries after the harvest, they can be dried, frozen, or canned. My favorite preserving method is to freeze them using the tray or quick-frozen method. After washing, de-stemming, and pitting the cherries, dry them on a clean towel or paper towel. Place dry cherries in a single layer on a tray and place in the freezer. Once frozen, remove and quickly place the frozen cherries in hard-sided freezer jars or freezer-quality plastic bags. Double bag for better quality.  I always measure the cherries before putting them into the bags, the amounts based on the recipes that will be used—usually 2 cups per quart bag. Label the bag with the contents, amount, and date. Frozen this way, the cherries are pourable from the freezer.

Preserving cherries through canning in boiling water or an atmospheric steam canner results in shelf-stable foodstuffs. Cherry jam, cherry jelly, cherry syrup, and cherry pie filling will supplement your menus through the winter.

Cherries can also be preserved by drying. The best results come from using a food dehydrator. Dried cherries pack a nice punch of intense flavor, eaten on their own or added to baked goods. Go to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, the research-based source for safe processes and delicious recipes, or Let’s Preserve: Cherries from our very own food scientists at Penn State.

Before any food preparation, clean countertops and utensils. Wash your hands with soap and warm water.

The following recipe for cherry scones is from Oregon State University.

Cherry Scones

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dried cherries, or chopped fresh, canned or frozen and thawed cherries. Drain canned or frozen cherries well.
• ¼ cup margarine or butter, melted
• ⅔ cup buttermilk (see Notes)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well.
4. Add the cherries and mix lightly.
5. Combine the melted margarine or butter, buttermilk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and mix gently.
6. Spoon the dough into ten equal mounds on a greased baking sheet. Bake until well browned, 18 to 20 minutes.
7. Serve hot or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 or 3 days.

Notes:

• Try with other dried fruit or fresh blueberries.
• No buttermilk? Place 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in measuring cup and fill to the 1 cup line with milk. Stir and let set to thicken slightly.

Resources for Growing Cherry Trees

• Home Orchard Calendar
• Pruning and Training Home Fruit Trees to an Open Center
• Cherry Tree Training Systems - A Downloadable Guide
• Spring Fruit Tree Planting Tips for the Home Garden