tart cherry
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tart cherry, (Prunus cerasus), species of cherry cultivated for its acidic fruits. Tart cherries are one of three types of cherries grown commercially, the others being sweet cherries and a cross of sweet and tart cherries known as dukes. Generally considered too acidic to eat fresh, tart cherries are commonly frozen or canned for use in sauces and pastries and are also made into juice or juice concentrate.
The fruits provide vitamin A and small amounts of such minerals as calcium and phosphorus. Tart cherries are rich in antioxidants and have been hailed as a superfood. A serving of the fruit, its juice, or its concentrate contains more anthocyanins—a type of antioxidant—than servings of most other fruits and vegetables. Tart cherries may also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Physical description
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Angiosperm
- Order: Rosales
- Family: Rosaceae
- Genus: Prunus
See also list of plants in the family Rosaceae.
Tart cherry trees are smaller than sweet cherry trees and rarely reach over 5 meters (16 feet) in height. The trees are deciduous and bear simple leaves with toothed margins. The leaves are borne alternately along the stems and have a pair of characteristic glands at the base of the leaf blade. The bark is gray-brown in color and features prominent horizontal lenticels (porelike openings). The showy white or pink flowers have five petals and numerous stamens. A double-flowered cultivar is grown ornamentally for its blossoms.
The fruit is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit) and is round to oblate in shape. Each is borne on a long stem. Tart cherry fruits are generally dark red in color, though some varieties, such as Montmorency, are bright red. The high acid content of the tart cherry produces its characteristic piquant flavor.
Cyanide poisoning
Like many other stone fruits, tart cherries have pits that contain amygdalin, a cyanide compound. When metabolized in the digestive system, this chemical degrades into highly poisonous hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Given that pits that have been ground, crushed, or chewed can cause cyanide poisoning, tart cherries should not be put whole into blenders or juicer machines without first removing the pits. An intact pit will likely pass harmlessly through the digestive system if accidentally swallowed.
See also Can apple seeds kill you?