Cherry (lat. Prunus cerasus) is a plant species from the genus Prunus that was created by crossing sweet, domestic cherry with wild varieties. The sour cherry is a noble fruit, and it is believed that wild types of cherries originated in the western part of Asia. 2,500 years ago, the cherry tree began to be cultivated in Greece and Turkey, and thanks to the Romans, the cherry tree spread throughout Europe.
It belongs to stone fruits such as almonds, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums and the most similar relative of cherries.
The cherry fruit is dark red or light red in color. The taste is sweet or sour. The cherry tree can grow up to 6 m. Its trunk is regular with thin and hanging branches. Due to its bushy shape, it is planted inside the garden or orchard. Its leaves are pointed, leathery and shiny, and during flowering it produces white flowers that open during March and April.
The cherry tree in Croatia is most widespread in the Mediterranean part (Dalmatia) and in the northern continental part. Maraska is produced in Dalmatia and is the most famous autochthonous Croatian cherry variety. Nowadays, the production of Maraska is significantly lower, as it produces up to 3,000 t per year, while up to 1971, more than 12,000 t were produced.
Types of cherry
When choosing a variety for planting, you should take care of two important facts. In the northern parts of Croatia, so-called northern cherry varieties are grown, and in Dalmatia, Maraska is grown. When choosing a variety, the fruits must be suitable for the processing industry, and the variety must have good productivity. If only one variety is planted, it must be self-fertile and suitable for mechanized harvesting. Some of the most popular cherry varieties are; rexelle, Oblačinska, Keleris 16, Gorsemska, Maraska.
Rexelle
Rexelle is a variety of German origin, and it has been produced in Croatia since 1975. Its lushness is average and it has a well-branched crown. Its primary branches are upright. Rexelle is a self-fertilizing variety. Its fruits are easily separated from the stem, therefore it is most suitable for mechanized harvesting. It ripens in the second half of June, and its fruits are large and can weigh up to 5.1 g. The flesh of the fruit is juicy, and the skin is thin and tough. This cherry variety is suitable for all forms of processing.
Cloudy
The origin of this variety has not been established. The cloud variety blooms medium early and is weak to medium vigorous. Its crown is spherical and broadly pyramidal. It is a self-fertilizing variety that bears abundantly and regularly. Its fruits are small, and the skin is dark red in color. The flesh of the fruit is dark red and aromatic. The Oblačin variety is grown for processing. It ripens at the end of June and is resistant to diseases.
Keleris 16
Keleris 16 ripens at the beginning of July and is a very fertile variety with large fruit. It is suitable for all forms of processing, and its fruits can weigh up to 4.2 g. The flesh of the fruit is dark red to purple-red in color. Although it is a self-fertilizing variety, it is safer if there is a pollinator.
Gorsemska
The Gorsem variety is of Belgian origin and has been in production in Croatia since 1978. Its lushness is mediocre. Its branches grow upright and form a canopy that grows well. It is planted in a place with pollinators. It ripens at the beginning of July and bears large, round fruits. The color of the fruit is dark red, and the skin is thin and delicate. The flesh of the fruit is soft and dark red.
Maraska
Maraska is an autochthonous Croatian variety. It is most widespread in the area of Dalmatia, and the best quality fruits are produced in the area of Hvar, Brela, Brač and Ravni Kotar. Within the population there are types of pendulous and upright growth. There are different types of marasca such as autofertile and partially autosterile and autofertile. Maraska ripens in early July. Its fruits stand out for their quality and aroma and are medium-sized and round.
Cherry planting
Before plowing (deep plowing), it is necessary to remove the remains of trees or bushes and to level larger or smaller depressions on the land. Before plowing, ameliorative fertilization is carried out, which includes the addition of phosphorus and potassium. The soil must be dug up to a depth of at least 60 cm, because the root of the tree is located at that depth. The soil for rooting must be dry, so it is most often done in July or August.
Before autumn planting, it is necessary to chop and level the soil. For successful planting, loose soil is required. At a distance of 5 x 4 m, rows and planting places are staked out. Only first-class one-year-old cherry seedlings are planted, which have a strongly developed aerial part and a well-developed root system.
Planting time
It is planted in autumn, because planting in spring can be bad for the reception and development of received seedlings. The seedling grows early and the cherry buds wake up early, while the root in the soil regenerates slowly. At that age, the seedling does not have a good balance between the supply of water and nutrients from the soil.
Seedlings planted in autumn or early spring are shortened before the start of vegetation to a height of 120 cm. Side shoots are shortened to two buds, and side shoots up to 80 cm are completely removed.
The pit is dug in marked places and a seedling with roots can be placed in it. The root neck must be at the level of the soil surface. The soil sprinkled on the roots of the seedling is well trampled, manure is added and it is covered with loose soil. If manure is added after planting, it is placed on the edge of the transplanted seedling in the amount of 30 kg.
Choosing the substrate for planting
Cherry is best grafted in the spring, at the end of March, because that’s when the cuttings have the highest survival rate. If the buds swell on the shell after two weeks, then the vaccination was successful.
The most effective way is kidney grafting because it takes root easily. If the grafting is unsuccessful, this branch can be replanted.
Cherry is best grafted between related plants – cherry on cherry, but in some regions cherry is grafted on plum.
A cherry or an apricot can also serve as a base for a sour cherry, and in the southern regions, a peach.
Roots can be generative and vegetative. It is important to follow certain rules when choosing a substrate. It must have a good affinity with the chosen variety, the substrate must not push out the shoots, it must ensure the uniformity of the plantations and be well anchored in the soil, and it must ensure early and regular fertility.
When the cherry tree is grown on heavier soils, the generative substrate on the wild cherry seed is used. Wild cherry serves as a lush substrate on fertile soils in the continental part of Croatia. It matches well with the noble varieties of the cherry tree. When a cherry tree is grafted onto this substrate, it produces regularly and lives for a long time. In regions where there is a greater risk of frost, the cherry is grafted at the height of the crown.
Raseljka or mahaleb is used on permeable, light, stony, dry and calcareous soils, which are most often found in Dalmatia. Raseljka does not tolerate heavy soils and water retention in the soil, it is sensitive to the hinge virus, and it goes well with sour cherries. Cherry trees that are grafted with cuttings tolerate drought better, are lush and bear fruit earlier, but have a shorter life span. It is sensitive to heavier soils, which is why wild cherry is more common as a substrate because it adapts more easily to poorer conditions.
Steppe cherry is resistant to frost and drought, and there are different variations of this variety. As a substrate, it is weakly lush, so the cherry trees, which are grafted on this substrate, are dwarf. It bears fruit well and early, but does not match all noble cherry varieties. In Croatia, vegetative rootstocks for sour cherries are used less. The best-known vegetative rootstock is Colt, which was created by crossing P. avium x P. pseudocerasus. Colt matches all noble cherry varieties.
CAB 6P and CAB 11E substrates were the result of research in Italy. Cherry trees that are grafted on this substrate have better fertility, but they give a large number of root shoots in the plantation. In Croatia, these substrates are registered only for cherry.
Planting from seed
Planting sour cherries from seeds is rarely used in mass production and industry, because the plants obtained from seeds are very diverse in terms of lushness and product quality. The fruits are of lower quality than the mother plant.
The pit of the cherry is washed and left to dry and kept in a cool place for two weeks. When the seeds are ready for planting, put them in a jar and in very hot water. The seed is thus kept for 24 to 48 hours. After the seeds have been soaked in water, coconut hummus is placed in hot water and kept for 5 to 10 minutes. The substrate is placed in a small container, and the seeds are planted about 2 cm into the ground. Planted seeds are poured with warm water and placed in a warm place.
The pits must be watered regularly because the substrate must always be moist. When the young fruit trees get stronger, they can be planted separately. They are kept in a sunny place with regular watering.
When the root and the plant are strong, they are transplanted into special pots with sandy soil and substrates.
Planting seedlings
Before the seedling is planted, the planting sites are marked with a stake. Planting sites must have a distance of 5 x 4 m. High-quality, virus-free planting material is delivered from the nursery. If the seedlings are not planted on the same day, it is necessary to bury them well and protect them from mice and voles.
All seedlings must be inspected before planting. If a seedling is damaged, it is separated, and the root is refreshed by a cut. Seedlings are soaked a few hours before planting in a mixture of loam, cow dung and water.
Two people are needed for planting – one holds the seedling, and the other fills the pit with soil. After planting, add 30 kg of manure per seedling, which is stepped on with boots and covered with soil. After adding manure, the fruit tree is abundantly watered.
Cultivation in the garden
Cherry is a fruit tree that is particularly sensitive to temperature and rainfall, therefore the distribution of rainfall during the growing season is important in the phase of fruit growth, especially in the phase of swelling and ripening. The soil for planting must be deep, well-drained and fertile, because the roots begin to rot in wet soils. Cherry will not thrive on alkaline soil either. Sour cherries are planted during the winter dormancy, during the fall of the leaves in the fall until the movement of the vegetation in the spring.
Cherry trees in the garden require a lot of light and warmth. Sloping terrain suits it, because then water does not stay and there is no danger to the roots. After the cherry seedling is planted in the garden, it is recommended to fence the orchard to prevent rodent infestation. Once the cherry tree is planted, it needs regular maintenance.
Cultivation in containers
Stone or wooden containers are better than ceramic ones, which can crack as the roots of the fruit tree spread. Plastic does not provide sufficient insulation from low temperatures.
The container is placed on several bricks so that excess water does not collect at the bottom, as this can damage the roots in winter. In order for the sapling to grow properly, the soil is important. Quality must not be skimped on, because cherries grow in a limited space and need the best care. The soil should be well fertilized, and sour cherries for growing in containers are usually obtained from seeds.
Ground
Warm, deep and permeable soils are most suitable for cherries. Sandy loams and loamy clay and loamy soils are most suitable for planting cherries. Drainage is mandatory on heavier soils, as sour cherry does not tolerate such soils.
If the cherry is planted on heavier soils, then it is grown on generative substrates. The seed of wild cherry (Prunus avium) is most often used. In continental Croatia, on lighter sandy soils and on dry soils in Dalmatia, sour cherries are grown on seeds of the Rašeljka (Prunus mahaleb). Due to easier adaptation to poorer soil and climate conditions, wild cherry is more prevalent as a substrate.
Climate
During winter dormancy, the cherry tree can withstand temperatures up to -35 °C. It is particularly sensitive to low temperatures when it is in the initial phase of vegetation. With low night temperatures, in the phenophase, the tree freezes. Tree frost occurs due to sudden morning warming of the bark and manifests itself in the form of cracking of the bark. Cherry is most sensitive 3 to 4 weeks before flowering. In this phase, considerable damage can occur if the temperature drops below -2.7 °C. Cherry is resistant to high temperatures and can withstand temperatures above 30 °C.
Cherry cultivation
Cherry is grown in the form of a vase and fixing a pyramid. It can also be grown in the form of a spindly bush on weakly lush substrates. The cherry tree develops only the flower fruit from the flower buds. No new shoots remain in their place after harvesting. The sour cherry bears its fruits on long or shorter one-year shoots and May bunches.
Matching cultures
Before planting pre-cultures and neighbors, it is important to consider different conditions. Not all plants prefer the same soil. Crops, if planted on unsuitable soil, will grow poorly and will not produce a good harvest. Only those plant species that prefer the same soil are planted next to the cherry tree.
Neighbors for the cherry tree are chosen so that their root system is located below or above the roots of the cherry tree. Special attention is paid to lighting. Few plants tolerate shading, that’s why landing in the garden is properly planned. Trees and shrubs need a lot of sunlight, but the branches of the cherry tree should not completely cover its neighbor. The cherry tree cannot be planted near the apple tree because of its strong branches, because over time it will completely cover the small cherry trees with its crowns.
Compatibility should be taken care of because some plants and trees can release substances into the air that negatively affect the cherry tree, i.e. its growth and flowering. The compatibility of the cherry tree and the plum tree is acceptable. When choosing a plum, peach or apricot as a neighbor, only smaller trees come into consideration. The height should not be higher than 3 m.
Along with the cherry tree, it is recommended to plant cherry, hawthorn, and dogwood, because these crops do not interfere with each other, and the harvest is good.
Grapes are good neighbors only if only bushes or a dwarf cherry tree are planted next to them, because grapes love the sun. If it is too shaded, it will not produce a good harvest. Berries, or berries, are also a good neighbor for the cherry tree. The smell of berries repels pests such as ants and other insects.
It is recommended to plant perennial crops under the cherry tree. In the orchard, you can plant small wintergreen, creeping tentacles, mint and lemon balm under the cherry. Mint and lemon balm are used in making teas, and their scent will repel pests.
Watering
The lowest limit for cherry cultivation is 650 mm of precipitation per year. In places where there is not enough precipitation, irrigation is preferred.
Fertilization
Chemical and physical analysis of the soil is performed before planting the orchard. It determines the concentration of certain nutrients and soil reaction. Based on the concentration, the amount of mineral fertilizers and the possible measure of calcification are determined. If the soil is heavy, wet and compact, it needs to be repaired with appropriate agrotechnical interventions.
Sour cherry, compared to cherry, has a greater need for nitrogen. The tree partially obtains nitrogen from the decomposition of humus substances that are applied with manure or peat before planting. Nitrogen from mineral fertilizers is added during active growth. It is added in several meals, two to three times. In the first years of growth, sour cherries have an increased need for nitrogen. 30 to 40 kg/ha of nitrogen is added to young fruit trees, and 60 to 140 kg/ha to older fruit trees at maturity. The need for potassium in the first years of development is 60 kg/ha, and in full fertility 150 to 200 kg/ha. Calcium, calcium chloride and calcium nitrate are applied by spraying for fruit firmness.
Propagation
Cherry is most often propagated by self-fertilization. There are some varieties that cannot reproduce in this way, so they need to be planted in a place where there are many pollinators.
Maintenance and care
Cherry trees are maintained by pruning branches and tops. Pruning should not be done during wet periods.
Plantation maintenance
Before the start of vegetation, in the spring, mineral fertilizer KAN 27% is added. 2 to 3 times during the growing season, the weedy protective zone is treated with 4 – 6 l/ha. During the dormant period of fruit trees and during the growing season, pruning of fruit trees is carried out. After 2 to 3 years, the space between the rows is grassed. Mulching (mowing) the lawn increases the content of organic substances and improves the chemical, physical and biological properties of the soil.
Pruning and shaping
In the first years of life, the dominance of the tip is more pronounced, therefore timely insulation of the tip is important for good growth of branches and to prevent shading. Pruning is done during the growing season. After harvesting, new shoots and the first moderately lush shoots should be removed. Thus, more light will penetrate into the interior of the crown, which improves the setting of fruit buds and prevents the elongation of branches beyond the given volume of the crown.
The cultivated form of the repaired pyramid consists of a central conductor with 7 to 9 primary branches that are spirally arranged at intervals of 20 to 40 cm.
The vase is shaped so that in the first year of growing the seedling is shortened to 70 cm. Seedlings are shortened at a height of 90 to 100 cm if mechanized fruit harvesting is planned in the plantation. By bending and tying, the three best distributed branches are adjusted. The height of the trunk in the growing vase form is from 50 to 70 cm. The cultivated form does not have a conductor, and it is characteristic that the three basic skeletal branches close at an angle of 120⁰, and according to the position of the conductor, they close an angle of 45⁰ to 50⁰. The height of the branches is 10 cm. This method of cultivation ensures a sufficient amount of light for the crowns and the fruit.
Preparation for the next season
Soil preparation for the next season begins with clearing, cleaning and leveling the terrain, and then it is necessary to improve the terrain. The soil should contain a minimum of 3% humus. In order to increase the amount of humus by at least 1% at a depth of 40 cm, 20 t/ha of manure should be introduced into the soil. After the soil is fertilized, it is followed by deep plowing to a depth of 50 to 70 cm. The soil is plowed in August or September, when the soil is moderately moist.
The cherry tree is prepared for the next season in autumn with the last foliar feeding before the leaves fall. Foliar feeding creates a reserve in the bark and roots of the tree. Root hairs and roots accumulate nutrients and grow in the autumn period.
Elements such as zinc, nitrogen and boron are the most important factors in stone fruit production. The cherry tree’s need for zinc, nitrogen and boron is most pronounced in the spring when the growing season begins. The tree will use them from the reserve created by autumn feeding through the leaves.
Weak vegetative growth, short and thin branches and their poor branching are caused by a lack of nitrogen. Due to the lack of nitrogen, there is excessive sensitivity to frost, diseases and pests, and there is a general imbalance of plant metabolism.
The appearance of small leaves (rosettes) and drying of the leaves is caused by a lack of boron. On the trees, the bark cracks, and the tree is less pollinated because pine is essential for the formation of the pollen tube.
Lack of zinc causes damaged leaves in rosettes, drying of leaf tips and shortening of internodes. Due to zinc deficiency, the fruits can be of unequal size and are often deformed.
Foliar top dressing of sour cherries takes place in several stages;
- the phase takes place from the beginning of flowering to the beginning of leafing
- phase takes place when the first buds appear
- phase takes place before flowering
- phase takes place after flowering
- phase takes place after the formation of the fruit
- phase takes place after fruit ripening
- the phase takes place before the harvest
- the phase takes place after the harvest
Cherry picking
Cherries can be picked by hand or with shakers. Shakers are machines that shake the tree from which the fruits fall onto the self-propelled frames of the machine with a cloth placed under the tree canopy. Mechanical harvesting with a shaker takes one minute per tree, and the machine’s output is 40 to 50 trees per hour. One machine harvests from 0.9 to 1.0 ha in 10 hours of operation.
In addition to manual harvesting, sour cherries can be picked with wooden poles. With wooden poles, cherry fruits are spread on nets placed under the tree. This method of harvesting is avoided because it damages the tree and the fruit.
The harvest starts in June.
Storage
Cherries that are stored should be shiny and without spots. Damaged cherries should be avoided, and cherries with stems will have a longer shelf life.
Cherries can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge or frozen. When they are taken out of the fridge, they should be left at room temperature for a few hours because the taste is better. Fresh cherries are consumed within two to four days. Before freezing, the fruits are placed individually on a tray so that they do not come into contact. The tray is placed in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours, and then the frozen fruits are placed in bags that are returned to the freezer. When a sour cherry is frozen in a home freezer at a temperature of -20 °C, the fruit secretes a drinkable liquid during thawing.
Cherries can be preserved in the form of compote and stored that way. When making compote, it is important to separate damaged fruits because they can be moldy. The fruits are boiled after a short freeze because then their taste is better. Fruits that are not ripe enough are used for compote. When preservatives are used in the compote or when the compote is pasteurized, the shelf life is extended up to a year. The compote is kept in a dark and dry place.
Diseases
There are three most common diseases that occur in sour cherries; leaf hollowness, monilia and leaf curling.
Leaf hollowness
Symptoms such as blisters are the first signs of leaf hollowness. The pods appear gray with black dots protruding from the bark. In the spring, infected buds do not shoot at all or shoot partially. The excessive occurrence of scallions calls into question proper pruning, because there is not enough healthy tree for cuttings and scallions.
Monilia
Monilia is a fungus that can threaten cherry fruit, but there are preventive measures that can prevent the disease from occurring. The infection is created during flowering through the flower, then through the pistil it comes to the fruiting body where the mycelium develops. The fungus spreads from the flower to the shoots. Monilia produces toxins that cause the twigs to dry out. Rainy and humid weather favors the spread of monilia. In Croatia, the infection also spreads due to dew during flowering.
The first symptoms are visible on the drying flowers. Wounds appear on the shoots that become resinous. This fungus can also infect fruits through wounds, which then begin to rot. Due to monilia attack, the entire tree may dry up.
Leaf curling
Leaf blight is the most dangerous disease that can affect a cherry tree. As a result of this disease, leaves fall, so the tree looks like autumn at the end of the seventh month.
On the upper side of the leaves, small red-purple spots of 1 millimeter size develop. During good weather, the number of spots increases rapidly and soon covers the entire leaf. When the spots merge, the leaf takes on a reddish color. If the attack is strong, the leaf turns yellow. Most often, the fruit tree remains without leaves in full vegetation. The disease is dangerous for large plantations, so regular control measures are applied. Immediately after flowering, the first spraying is carried out, followed by three more sprayings at intervals of 10 to 14 days. After harvesting, another spraying is done.
Pests
The most common pests of the cherry tree are; the caterpillar of the mullet and the caterpillar, aphids, the stinger and the red fruit spider.
The caterpillar of the maggot and the goiter
The caterpillar of the mullet and goiter emerges from the eggs in April and May, and can grow up to 7 centimeters. It causes damage by feeding on leaves.
Young caterpillars are black-gray in color, and each segment has warts covered with long dark hairs. Hairs allow young caterpillars to be carried by the wind.
Adult caterpillars have two rows of warts on their back – the first five are blue, and the remaining seven pairs are reddish. The head is yellow with black markings.
Aphids
The damage caused by aphids can be direct and indirect. In the case of direct damage, they suck the plant sap on the plant’s organs. As a result, leaf curling, tissue necrosis and fruit deformation occur. The tree may eventually wither.
Indirect damage occurs as a result of the transmission of viral diseases and the secretion of honeydew. Ants feed on honeydew, which collect drops and take them to the anthill as food. The appearance of ants indicates that the tree is attacked by aphids. Warm and sultry weather favors them, and excessive multiplication takes place in May.
Zylogriz
The gnat (Capnodis tenebrionis) is a pest that lives in the Mediterranean area. It appears in increasing numbers in continental areas as well, due to climate change. The stone borer attacks stone fruits, and the most threatened are cherries, sour cherries, plums, peaches and apricots. Zylogriz directly affects the yield because it causes damage that dries up the fruit tree. Zylogriz appears mainly due to neglected orchards, but also due to the increase in temperature in a year with little rainfall.
This pest has a specific appearance characterized by a prominent black mouth, while the rest of the body is yellow. It is 5 to 7 cm in size. The eggs are white in color and oval in shape. The length of the laid eggs is 1.5 mm, and the larvae emerge from the laid eggs after 10 to 20 days. At the beginning of March, females feed on grasses. During the growing season, they usually feed on sour cherries. Males die after fertilization, and the female lays eggs in early June.
One female lays from 200 to 350 eggs in a season. She lays her eggs up to the neck of the root or in the ground, around the fruit tree. After the larvae emerge from the eggs, they develop for about two years, after which they pass into the pupa stage and then into an adult insect.
In spring, adult pests are found on branches and bite young shoots and petioles, which is dangerous for seedlings and fruit trees. It is more dangerous when the larvae burrow into a root or tree. Fruit trees have a self-defense mechanism by excreting resin, but if the tree is sick, it cannot defend itself against attacks. Symptoms are smaller fruits and leaves. During dry periods, damage can be greater.
The wood chipper has one generation every two years. Imago occurs in July and August, and feeds on bark and saplings. The larva overwinters in the roots and feeds on the roots. After two years, a pupa is formed in the tree. As a rule, if a woodworm infestation affects an older tree, it cannot be helped.
In order to prevent infestation, females that lay eggs should be destroyed. Eggs can also be destroyed in the soil around the orchard with the help of insecticides. Before using insecticides, the soil should be cultivated with a motor cultivator.
Under the young tree, a foil is placed on which the insects are shaken off the tree. Thus, the number of adults decreases.
It is recommended to remove neglected orchards because the infection can come from such orchards.
Among agrotechnical measures, fruit irrigation is used, because water reduces the possibility of an insect entering the fruit tree. Irrigation is done during the dry months.
Chemical protection is carried out using insecticides by shallow digging. Insecticides are used in circular motions at one meter from the tree when the female is laying eggs.
Red fruit spider
The red fruit spider (Panonychus ulmi) most often appears on apples and vines, but it also appears more and more often on cherry trees. This is the most important pest among all mites.
It attacks the leaves on which you can see yellowish dots that start to take on a purple-red or purple-brown color. The colors are concentrated along the veins. The spots merge over time, and the leaf dries out and is often deformed. In later attacks, it can also fall from the branches.
The eggs are red, 0.1 to 0.15 mm in size. They mostly appear on two-year-old trees. The larvae have an orange color when they hatch, and turn red with time. Adult larvae are 0.3 to 0.4 mm in size. They are kept on the reverse side of the sheet.
The red fruit spider sucks coagulation protoplasm and chlorophyll granules. As a result, photosynthesis is reduced. The attacked tissue necrotizes because there is a loss of water. In the spring, the nymphs and larvae cause the shoots to break. During the last generation, the attack was not the greatest. The red fruit spider can also cause damage in the next season because the development of fruits and buds is weaker during the attack.
If more than 8 spiders are found on one leaf, the tree must be treated by spraying with mineral oils and oily organophosphorus insecticides. Spraying is carried out during the movement of vegetation.
Use of cherry
Sour cherries are grown for several reasons, most often to turn the fruit into compote, juice or liqueur. Due to its acidity, the fruits are rarely eaten.
Preparations
Cookery
Cherries are rarely eaten fresh, but they are widely used in cooking. Cherries are best prepared the same day they are picked or bought, but they will not lose their properties if they are kept in the refrigerator for a few days. Cherries are used not only for making desserts but also for making savory dishes. Sour cherries are much softer than cherries, so the fruit is picked carefully. The stalks are removed before eating or cooking in order to soften them as quickly as possible.
Cherries can be used to make a sauce that is famous in Vojvodina cuisine and is served with boiled beef. It is made with a base made of a little sugar, flour and cherry juice, and spices include pepper and rosemary. This recipe is related to the one for making fruit vinegar. The sauce is made using homemade yeast, in which cleaned and crushed cherries are soaked for several days. It is used in salads, cooked dishes or just poured over meat.
In continental Croatia, glajhgeviht cake is made from cherries. Classic clafouts are prepared by the French, and the cake resembles a traditional Croatian zlevka. Cherries are placed in one of the most famous cakes in the world – Black Forest cake.
Cherries are used when cooking goulash, and they can be used to stuff pork loin and make dumplings with cherries.
Cherries are the best, of all fruits, that can be preserved. Cherries can be made into a compote or a mixture that can be frozen so that it can be used as a filling for doughnuts all year round. The mixture is made from cleaned cherries and sugar that are cooked together on fire. The mixture is transferred to bottles, bags or jars and frozen.
Cherry compote is made from sugar, peeled cherries, cinnamon and rum. Compote is preserved and stored after cooking.
As a fruit, cherry is rich in notes of cloves, so it can be combined with honey and chocolate.
Medicine
Sour cherries have a high content of phenol, beta carotene, vitamin A and melatonin. Cherry fruit contains SOD, which is one of the most important enzymatic antioxidant chemical compounds in our body.
Of the vitamins in the fruit of the cherry, the most abundant is beta carotene, which can be as much as 522 mcg per 100 g of the fruit. In folk medicine, sour cherry juice was used to help with gout and joint pain.
Due to its properties, sour cherries have an anti-inflammatory effect, so they help with rheumatism and osteoarthritis. In athletes, after intense training, sour cherry juice reduces muscle pain because the powerful antioxidant compounds in sour cherry juice reduce the damage that occurs when muscles are used to their maximum. The juice allows the muscles to recover quickly with its anti-inflammatory compounds, anthocyanins, which are responsible for the bright color of the cherry.
Cherry fruit reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome. 20 cherries a day has the same pain-relieving effect as aspirin.
Cherries are a natural source of the hormone melatonin, so cherries promote sleep. Two glasses of juice a week helps regulate heart rhythm.
History
The Latin name was given to it in 1737 by the father of taxonomy, Carl Linnaeus. The origin of the word Prunus is the Greek word prounon, which means plum tree. In foreign languages it is known as; ginja, sour cherry, tart cherry, cerisier aigre…
In Zadar and its surroundings, written certificates were found that shed light on the existence of Maraska in gardens and vineyards. Certificates on the amounts of fees, which were to be paid by the peasants, date back to 1447. For one basket of Marasca, the seller had to pay half a penny.
The first cherry varieties appeared on the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas, in the 3rd century BC. Cherries were cultivated by the ancient Greeks, and the Romans spread them throughout Europe.
Interesting things
Michigan is the largest producer of cherries in the world. The National Cherry Tree Festival has been held in Michigan since 1926 and lasts for eight days. During the festival, he competes in eating cherry pie and baking the biggest pie.
In Turkey, sour cherries are an integral part of traditional cherry jams, which are made throughout the year.
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