Well, you’ve just pictured sour cherries. But maybe that’s because you’re buying them in the sunshine at farmers markets —just about the only place to find fresh ones. Tart is acceptable in food, sour has negative connotations, although both are synonymous ways to describe tastable acidity. (Scholl says cherries are the last of the fruit trees to bloom.). “Food writers are the only people who ever request them, but they have like a two-week season in late July,” says Robert Schueller, the produce guru at Melissa’s Produce, a specialty produce wholesaler. Tart (noun) A species of small open pie, or piece of pastry, containing jelly or conserve; a sort of fruit pie. Indeed. Sour (adjective) Changed, as by keeping, so as to be acid… Sour (adjective) Having an acid or sharp, biting taste, like vinegar, and the juices of most unripe fruits; acid; tart. That’s what most of the 34,000 acres of sour cherry trees planted in the United States are. In contrast, they seem to glow. The rest are from smaller farms and sold fresh,” he says. Use them in baked goods (except pies, which need the juice) and chutneys — you can rehydrate them as you would raisins, in hot water. We who love them use them as creatively and quickly as we can, putting their bright, acidic hit to good use in jams, cakes, pies, cocktails, and even in the occasional savory dish. Sour cherries, or tart cherries, are smaller than your average Bing cherries and don’t bear the dappled complexion of a Rainier, either. The complexity of flavor, the versatility in the kitchen — it’s worth the wait and the work. (I usually use my pinkie or ask my kids to do it.) But it was the practice of her Abruzzese grandmother that helped inspire her latest book, Preserving Italy. Every year, in the beginning of the season, I start bugging Scholl, whose family grows acres of peaches, plums, and apples, about how their one-acre of Montmorency cherry trees look. Last year when a late frost decimated the cherry harvest in eastern Pennsylvania where we live, he had a supply. Sour milk has an acidic taste and smell. An apple pie is tart. I have a chef friend who loaded up on multiple flats of them at our local farmers market two summers ago, and so as to not hog up the storage at his restaurants, froze them at home. Of course, sour ball candies and other candies that are sour rely on citric acid, so what do I know? Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? Sour does not appeal to any other taste buds and often invokes a bad response. Their season is fleeting, typically just a few weeks, and they’re highly perishable, so you’re not likely to find them in supermarkets, either. Carrie Havranek is a food and travel writer living in Easton, Pennsylvania. Sour cherries are one of my most eagerly awaited fresh fruits of the summer. The fact of the matter is that sour cherries are just too perishable and the season too short to be a viable commercially harvested fruit. She’s a part-time baker who goes out of her way for farmers markets and yoga. We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
“My grandmother made wonderful sour cherries preserved in alcohol. If you’ve never heard of them or tasted them, you’re not alone. Please help me understand the differences between food & beverage that would be considered tart or sour.... by Anna Hecht | Planning on tending a fall garden? Sign up to discover your next favorite restaurant, recipe, or cookbook in the largest community of knowledgeable food enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a special fruit whose season is fleeting and whose rewards are great, sour cherries fit that profile. “Consumers typically don’t know what to do with them.”. You may unsubscribe at any time. But maybe that’s because you’re buying them in the sunshine at farmers markets —just about the only place to find fresh ones.