Ruby-red Cherries (tart or sour cherries)

Ruby-red cherries are one of America’s premier agriculture products. However, in today’s world, many people, especially children, do not know how farm products get to the dinner table. Here are some basics about growing, harvesting and processing tart cherries. Use this information as background, or possibly as the basis for a classroom presentation or school project.

Cherries grow on trees; a group of fruit trees is called an orchard. Cherry trees grow best in sandy soil because it drains well. It takes four to five years after a cherry tree is planted for it to produce enough cherries to harvest. Each season of the year has a distinct purpose for a cherry tree.

The Winter Rest
Tart cherry trees are very hardy and can easily handle even subzero temperatures, if the trees are in good condition as winter arrives. That’s because nutrients are stored in the tree’s root system. The winter is the perfect time for cherry farmers to prune the trees, cutting off branches. This allows the trees to be strong and helps to produce more cherries.

Early Spring
The buds of cherry trees start to swell as the days lengthen and the temperatures climb. It is a precarious time for cherry trees because cold temperatures at this time of year could destroy the crop. The best orchards are located on rolling hillsides and are near Lake Michigan or other large bodies of water. Heavy frosts generally roll off the hillsides and do not settle in the orchards. Most spring frosts are not severe enough to kill all the buds. Some frosts will only take the buds on the top limbs of the tree, while the ones below are untouched.

Flower Power
In May, the hillsides in “Cherry Country” become colorful panoramas as the cherry trees bloom. Early to mid-May is the peak blossom time for tart cherry trees. When the petals break away, they leave behind green buds that will eventually ripen into cherries. This stage of the development of cherries is referred to as “shuck split.”

Working Ahead
Buds for next year’s crop actually start to form about two weeks after blossoms fall, but remain dormant until the following spring.

The Growing Season
The fruit grows slowly over the next six to eight weeks. The cells that will form the cherry pit harden, but the cherries remain green until late June. In the last stages of development, the cherries put on weight quickly. Rain helps to plump up the fruit, which then begins to show reddish tinges. Depending on the location of the orchards, most tart cherries ripen sometime in July.

The Harvest
When the cherries turn bright red, it’s time for cherry farmers to pull the cherry shakers into the orchards. These machines grip the trunk of the tree and shake it. The cherries fall off the trees into a tarp that looks like an upside down umbrella. From the tarp the cherries are transferred to tanks of cold water. The tanks are taken to cooling stations where branches and leaves are flushed out with water.

Taking Cherries to Market
From the cooling stations, the cherries are hauled to nearby processing plants. Here special equipment removes cherries that are too small or too large. Other equipment is used to pit the cherries. Afterwards, the cherries are sorted and packed for distribution. Most of the tart cherries are either canned or frozen within 48 hours of harvest. Frozen, canned and dried tart cherries are available year-round in supermarkets and other retail outlets.

Tart cherries are seldom sold fresh, although a few farm markets, generally in the growing areas, offer them fresh during the harvest season. Fresh tart cherries are difficult to ship because the natural red color is affected by heat and light. They will turn brown when exposed even to the light in a refrigerator. The cherries are still good to eat, but the color changes.

This entry was posted on December 22, 2006 at 12:11 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.