Name: Sour cherry, also called tart cherry (Prunus cerasus). A genuinely distinct species from the sweet cherry (Prunus avium) rather than the same fruit picked early — it carries far more acid and is bred specifically for cooking rather than eating fresh. Common named varieties include Montmorency and Morello.
Description
Like the sweet cherry, the sour cherry traces back to wild trees native to the region between the Caspian Sea and the Balkans, and the two species have been grown alongside each other since antiquity. Sour cherry trees tend to be smaller and hardier than sweet cherry trees, tolerating colder climates well, which has made varieties like the Montmorency especially important to cherry-growing regions with harsh winters.
The fruit is generally a darker to brighter red than most sweet cherries and carries enough acidity that eating it raw off the tree is rarely pleasant. Instead, the vast majority of the sour cherry crop is frozen, canned, juiced, or cooked down into pie fillings, sauces, and preserves, where its tartness balances well against added sugar.
Main nutrition value
Per 100g, raw sour red cherries:
| Name | Average Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Proximates | ||
| Water | 86.1 | g |
| Energy | 50 | kcal |
| Protein | 1 | g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.3 | g |
| Ash | 0.4 | g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 12.2 | g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.6 | g |
| Sugars, total | 8.49 | g |
| Sucrose | 0.8 | g |
| Glucose | 4.18 | g |
| Fructose | 3.51 | g |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium, Ca | 16 | mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.32 | mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 9 | mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 15 | mg |
| Potassium, K | 173 | mg |
| Sodium, Na | 3 | mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.1 | mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.104 | mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.112 | mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0 | µg |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 10 | mg |
| Thiamin | 0.03 | mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 | mg |
| Niacin | 0.4 | mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.143 | mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.044 | mg |
| Folate, total | 8 | µg |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 64 | µg |
| Vitamin K | 2.1 | µg |
Sour cherries are particularly notable for vitamin C and potassium, and carry meaningfully more vitamin A (as beta-carotene) than sweet cherries, which contributes to their characteristic deep red colour. They also provide small amounts of fiber and manganese.
How best to be consumed
Sour cherries are rarely enjoyable eaten raw and are much better cooked: simmered into pie fillings and sauces, dried like a tart raisin, juiced, or frozen for later use. A little sugar goes a long way toward balancing their acidity in baking.
Overconsumption could cause…
Because they are so acidic, eating a large amount of raw sour cherries can aggravate heartburn or upset a sensitive stomach more readily than sweet cherries would. As with all stone fruits, the pit and kernel contain cyanogenic compounds and should never be chewed or swallowed.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central — Cherries, sour, red, raw (FDC ID 173954), 100g portion: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173954/nutrients Encyclopaedia Britannica — Cherry: https://www.britannica.com/plant/cherry
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