Tart cherries, also called sour cherries, are a distinct species from the sweet cherries typically eaten fresh. They are smaller, softer, and far too acidic for most people to enjoy raw. Their intense, tangy flavour makes them ideal for pies, jams, sauces, and juice.
The most common variety is the Montmorency, which accounts for the vast majority of tart cherry production. Tart cherries have a long history in European and American baking — cherry pie in the United States is almost always made with sour cherries rather than sweet.
Tart cherry juice has become popular as a drink in its own right. In Australia, tart cherries are less common than sweet varieties but are available as frozen fruit, dried fruit, juice, and concentrate.
How it's produced
Tart cherry trees are grown in temperate climates that provide the cold winter dormancy period the trees require. The major producing regions are the northern United States (particularly Michigan), Turkey, and parts of Eastern Europe. Trees are typically grafted onto rootstock and begin bearing fruit after three to five years.
The fruit ripens over a short window in summer and is harvested mechanically — a machine shakes the tree trunk while a catching frame collects the falling cherries. Because tart cherries bruise easily and deteriorate quickly, most of the harvest is frozen, dried, or juiced within hours of picking rather than sold fresh.
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