Sour cherry is a cultivated plant with red fruits known since ancient times. The stone fruits contain many vitamins and antioxidants. They are very popular as fresh fruit, spread and cake ingredient.
This is what you should know about the sour cherry.
Sour cherry is a cultivated plant with red fruits known since ancient times. The stone fruits contain many vitamins and antioxidants. The sour cherry, like its relative, the bird cherry (also called sweet cherry) belongs to the genus “Prunus” (Latin for plum tree). This name already shows that this genus includes all known stone fruit plants, such as cherry, almond, peach, plum and nectarine. According to genetic analyses, the sour cherry originated as a hybrid from the bird cherry (Prunus avium) and the steppe cherry (Prunus fruticosa) on the border of eastern Turkey and Iran. According to legend, the Roman general Lucullus brought this plant to Italy from the city of Kerasus, after which it is named. From there it spread throughout the northern hemisphere. In the tropics, the cherry does not grow, because it requires a period of frost as a ripening signal. This is to prevent the blossoms from emerging as early as autumn and then freezing. The sour cherry grows as a tree or shrub and can reach 4 – 10 meters in height. Its trunk is reddish brown, smooth and shiny and covered with many characteristic cork pores (lenticels). The leaves are ovate-elliptic and serrated on the edge (serrations like a saw). They grow to 6 to 10 cm long, up to 5 cm wide and are light green. The flowers emerge in groups of 2 to four and are arranged side by side in umbels. Each flower has 5 white petals and as many sepals below. Stipules are found at the base of the inflorescence, by which the sour cherry can be distinguished from the bird cherry. Like almost all trees, the sour cherry is a hermaphrodite and has both pistils and pollen sacs. Interestingly, unlike the sweet cherry, the sour cherry can self-pollinate and does not require external pollinators (wind, insects). It can also pollinate sweet cherry trees. Its flowering period is from April to May and in July the characteristic red drupes, flattened at the top and bottom, are ripe. The sour cherry is an important crop plant, of which very many variations have been bred. It grows ideally in sandy, nutrient-rich soil. The largest producers of sour cherries are Turkey, Russia and Poland. Sour cherries are used in a wide variety of products. Belgium even has a sour cherry beer called “kriek lambic.”
Importance for health
The red coloration of cherry fruit is due to its high content of anthocyanins. These substances from the class of polyphenols are found in all blue, red or purple fruits. Anthocyanins have a very strong antioxidant effect, i.e. they protect cells from oxygen. Oxygen has a strong decomposing effect on many different substances, as can be seen from the browning of apples or the rusting of metal. Cells protect themselves from aggressive oxygen atoms, also called “free radicals”, with antioxidant substances such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or anthocyanins. Various laboratory studies have also shown an anti-inflammatory effect of anthocyanins and related plant pigments. They inhibit the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which produces prostaglandin, a messenger substance important for inflammation. Reduced production of prostaglandin leads to weaker inflammation and less pain. In addition, regular intake of anthocyanins may protect against vascular calcification (atherosclerosis) and reduce the growth of certain cancers. Unlike other polyphenols, the anthocyanins in cherries are not toxic, even in high concentrations. Sour cherries naturally contain the hormone melatonin, which in humans is produced in the brain, where it regulates the rhythm of waking and sleeping. Problems falling asleep and sleeping through the night can therefore be improved by eating cherries or cherry juice. Cherry juice has also been used successfully to treat sore muscles and disorders of fat metabolism. But even without acute health problems, the consumption of Prunus cerasus is worthwhile, because it contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients and nutritional values
A serving of 100 g of sour cherries consists of 12.2 g of carbohydrates (sugar), 0.3 g of fat, 1 g of protein and 86.5 g of water.In terms of vitamins, each fruit contains appreciable amounts of vitamin A, which is important for eye function, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9. In addition, there is the antioxidant vitamin C and vitamin K, which is essential for blood and bone function. Furthermore, important minerals such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are found in the flesh. The caloric value of a serving of 100g of sour cherries is 50 kcal or 209 kJ.
Intolerances and allergies
According to an American statistic, about 6-8% of all children and 3-4% of adults are allergic to sour cherries, which does not have to include an allergy to sweet cherries. Symptoms range from throat and nose irritation to red eyes, diarrhea and nausea. The reasons for this are partly unclear, as no effective allergen (allergy-causing molecule) has yet been found in sour cherries. However, a cross-reaction can occur in the presence of other allergies. This means that certain components of the sour cherry resemble the allergy-causing substance. The immune system of the affected person may then also respond to the consumption of sour cherries. There is evidence of cross-reactions in people who are allergic to birch pollen. Sour cherries can also be involved in nut allergies. However, sour cherries also help many allergy sufferers improve their symptoms because of their anti-inflammatory effects.
Shopping and kitchen tips
Sour cherries are a seasonal fruit that cannot be grown in greenhouses. Therefore, sour cherries are only available from their ripening month of July until about early fall. Those who have the opportunity should pick sour cherries themselves. Children in particular like the task of picking the beautiful fruit from the tree, even directly into their mouths. Despite their appetizing appearance, cherries, like all fruit, should be washed thoroughly before eating. Careless handling of fruit in kindergartens has led to the reappearance of parasites such as worms, which were thought to have been eradicated. Since cherries have a large water content and no hard skin, they dry out during prolonged storage and can only be preserved for a long time.
Preparation tips
Cherries can be eaten fresh and are excellent for preparing many well-known types of cakes such as Black Forest cake, Danube waves and cherry crumble cake. To preserve cherries, they can be soaked in water and sterilized in the oven, soaked in alcohol, or frozen at -18°C. Of course, cherries can also be made into jam, marmalade or jelly and preserved in this way. There are many recipes and suggestions for this on the net.
