Tart Cherry

Tart cherry is a small, bright red stone fruit with thin skin and juicy flesh. Its sharp, mouth-puckering acidity and clear cherry aroma make it ideal for pies, tarts, jams, and quick compotes. Cooks use it in sauces for duck or pork, smoothies, and baked goods; it appears fresh in a short season and commonly as pitted frozen, canned, dried, or juice.

Originating in Europe and Western Asia, sour cherry varieties like Montmorency spread through Eastern Europe and later North America's Great Lakes and Northeast. Growers harvest in early to mid-summer, and much of the crop goes straight to freezing, canning, or juice processing.