Botanically speaking, there are hundreds of different varieties of cherries. Britain alone has around 300, although commercial fruit production in the UK concentrates on a more restricted number of varieties. Sweet cherries vary in colour from the white, red-dappled Napoleon or Merton Glory, through red varieties such as Kordia and Penny to black cherries such as Waterloo and Hertford. Acid, sour cherries, such as Montmorency and Morello, are more translucent in appearance and are rarely grown commercially in the UK but do grow in domestic gardens. Duke cherries are a cross between sweet and acid, while cherries that grow in the wild are known as ‘geans’.
Though imported cherries from sunny countries like Turkey and Spain are always sweet, cherry aficionados swear that our maritime climate produces crisper, better fruits with deeper, more intense flavours. Adding to the appeal of UK-grown cherries is their freshness. Chilean cherries, for instance, will have spent three weeks in cold storage being shipped to our shores and are likely to be a month old by the time we eat them. Many imported cherries are from firm-skinned modern varieties that have been bred to transport well, rather than selected for flavour.
Traditional English varieties famed for their flavour and worthwhile buying whenever you see them include:
Bradbourne Black, Merton Glory, Merpet,
Merton Premiere, Florence, Frogmore Early, White Heart,
Kentish Red, Early Rivers, Waterloo.
Newer, more commercial varieties with good eating qualities include:
Sunburst, Kordia, Penny, Summersun,
Lapins, Sasha, Stella, Van.
Things to do with cherries
• Make a French batter pudding or clafoutis.
• Use tart varieties of the fruit in a crumble or pie.
• A few fresh cherries make a big impression when stoned, halved and baked in muffins.
• Use cherries, in place of strawberries, to make a creamy Eton Mess. Stone cherries and mix with double cream, whipped to soft peaks, and crushed meringues. Drizzle on some Italian Amarena cherry syrup or Maraschino liqueur to serve.
Are cherries good for me?
Cherries give you useful amounts of vitamin C, which supports the immune system, and soluble fibre, which slows down the rate at which sugar is released into the bloodstream, and potassium, which helps moderate blood pressure. Some research suggests that the antioxidants in cherries may be protective against heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Other research supports the notion that they may have anti-inflammatory properties. This chimes in with the traditional use of cherries and cherry juice as a natural remedy for gout.
How are cherries grown?
In the past, British cherry trees were hard work. They were grown from rootstock that produced tall trees, as much as forty to sixty feet high, which had to be harvested rather precariously, while balancing on frighteningly tall ladders. They were also rather temperamental. All it took was a hard frost and the cherry blossom would not ‘set’ and the fruit would not form, meaning a poor or non-existent harvest. British growers have now started using newer varieties growing on dwarf rootstock. These smaller trees are easier to protect from birds and bad weather and can be harvested from the ground or with small, stable tripod ladders. Some English cherries are now grown under polytunnels.
Post-harvest, cherries can be washed and lightly brushed then dipped in an edible wax. Various types of wax are used such as carnauba (from palm trees), shellac (from beetles), beeswax and petroleum wax. Waxing makes them look shiny but has no nutritional properties, so you may prefer to avoid waxed fruit. Duller-looking cherries may not have been waxed.
Commercial cherries are grown in Kent, as well as in areas such as Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Worcestershire and Essex.
Are cherries a green choice?
Cherry trees absorb and store carbon from the environment, which makes cherries a sustainable, environment-friendly crop. Cherry orchards provide a wildlife-friendly habitat, while the tree roots help stabilize the soil and prevent soil erosion after heavy rains and floods.
British cherry production declined to an all-time low in 2003 when the total area of our cherry orchards was reduced to a tenth of what it was in the 1950s. But since then, cherry orchards have been on the up as growers have started using this dwarf rootstock and cultivating newer cherry varieties that yield more consistently, and British fruit growers now see a future in cherries once again. New orchards are being planted and British cherry production is increasing significantly as these become fruitful.
Where and when should I buy cherries?
With our portfolio of heritage and new varieties, it is now feasible for growers to produce sweet English cherries commercially for a six-week season, from June to August. Our large food retailers have tended to rely on cheaper foreign imports that are more consistent in supply and appearance but often lack the flavour and character of the British crop. However, the proliferation of farm shops and farmers’ markets has created an important new sales outlet for small- and medium-sized growers who lack the scale necessary to supply supermarkets. So come June, look out for vivid, scarlet, summer bursts of this juicy fruit enlivening market stalls, farm gate shops, pop-up roadside stalls and traditional greengrocers.
Outside the summer season, forget about eating cherries or use tinned or bottled ones. Sweet cherries lose a lot when frozen but sour varieties are still fine for pies and crumbles.
ORCHARD FRUITS SINCE ROMAN TIMES
Given the relative rarity of British cherries now, it is hard to believe that they were once common British fruits. The familiar cry of the cherry seller in the streets of seventeenth-century London was immortalized by the poet Robert Herrick, who wrote:
Cherry ripe, ripe, ripe, I cry,
Full and fair ones; come and buy…
In fact wild cherries are native to Britain and cherries have featured among our British orchard fruits since Roman times. The Tudor kings were especially keen on cherries and encouraged the planting of cherry orchards in Kent, which, to this day, is still the region that produces most of the British crop.
Will cherries break the bank?
Cherries, whether imported or British, will never be cheap and air-freighted cherries from countries such as the US and Chile are always scarily expensive. If you wait for the European and English season in June and July, you can expect prices to decrease as the season progresses. So it pays to keep an eye on the price of the early cherries then buy when availability is greatest and price lowest. Cherries, consumed in any quantity, are only ever going to be a once-a-year, seasonal treat.