Sour Red Cherries

Cultivation of the cherry, along with its cousin, the apricot,  dates back to 300 B.C. It is part of the traditional food culture of the Chinese, Romans, Egyptians and Europeans. In the 1600’s, Europeans brought cherries to North America but evidence indicates there were already several varieties here.

Studies show that cherries, whether consumed dried, frozen or as juice, have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, when compared to other fruits. They are also a good source of nutrients such as beta carotene, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber, folate and have 19 times more vitamin C than blueberries or strawberries.

They have been credited for helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout and reduce the risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Cherries also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body’s natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process. A recent University of Michigan study found cherries, as a regular part of the diet, lowered total weight, body fat (especially belly fat), inflammation and cholesterol, which are all risk factors for heart disease.

The phytonutrient family found in cherries are the anthocyanins, whose benefits have been link to the prevention of all types of diseases. The content is reflected by the colour. The darker and richer the cherry colour, as well as a strong, tart flavor indicate the level of anthocyanins present.   

Sour red cherries are the best for pies and cakes but they are hard to find fresh as they tend to be used more in the commercial baking industry. Dark red cherries can be used for baking but to get the tart flavor, add fresh lemon juice or mix with rhubarb. The cherry does tends to overwhelm the flavour of either of these, so it still tastes like a cherry product.

There are no established guidelines for the amount needed to obtain the results found in studies but experts speculate 1-2 servings of cherries daily may be enough. That is a lot of cherries and they are not available fresh all year long. Dried cherries, frozen, cherry juice or concentrate can help to maintain the benefits throughout the year but fresh will be the most potent.  Fortunately, and this cannot be said often enough, the benefit of a whole food diet means anthocyanins, along with vitamins and minerals, can be found in many foods.  So consume cherries available, preferably organic, but when not available, look for other fruits and vegetable with the rich reds, blues and purples pigments in their skin colour.

Suggested serving sizes: 1/2 cup dried, 1 cup frozen, 1 cup juice or 2 tbsp concentrate