All about cherries: benefits, properties and most popular varieties

All about cherries: rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, they are excellent for recharging in the heat and for protecting yourself from free radicals.

Cherries are good, they are good and perfect to be enjoyed in every way! In short, they are a truly magical fruit, but are you sure you know all the properties? They are a typical fruit of the hot season, rich in vitamins and minerals. They are distinguished by their red color and flavor that varies from sweet to sour. There are many varieties on the market, such as black Vignola corn or Ferrovia cherries.

Once purchased, they must be consumed within a few days because they are harvested when they have reached full maturity. You can, therefore, eat them natural to fully appreciate their goodness, or use them in the preparation of jams and ice cream. Also excellent for the preparation of savory dishes such as game .

Cherries: nutritional values ​​and calories

Let’s talk about calories: do cherries make you fat? They contain 38 calories per 100 grams, so as always the advice is to eat them, but without exceeding! Furthermore, the presence of vitamins A, B and mineral salts , such as iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium , as well as trace elements such as copper and zinc, makes them particularly energetic.

Let’s see in detail all the nutritional values of this fruit, always based on 100 g:

Water 86.20 g

Carbohydrates 9 g

Soluble sugars 9 g

Protein 0.8 g

Fat 0.1 g

Cholesterol 0 g

Total fiber 1.30 g

Sodium 3 mg

Potassium 229 mg

Iron 0.60 mg

Calcium 30 mg

Phosphorus 18 mg

Vitamin B1 0.03 mg

Vitamin B2 0.03 mg

Vitamin B3 0.50 mg

Vitamin C 11 mg

Properties of cherries

As we have already mentioned, these small fruits contain many Vitamins, especially A and C, as well as mineral salts, carbohydrates and levulose, a sugar that is perfect for those suffering from diabetes!

The presence of antioxidants makes them excellent for fighting free radicals, responsible for skin aging. In addition, they also have anti-inflammatory properties and are a cure-all for the heart.

They also contain a good amount of flavonoids, which fight blood cholesterol levels, and thanks to the presence of malic acid they stimulate liver activity.

Also excellent for staying in shape and purifying the intestine thanks to its diuretic and slightly laxative properties (so it is always better not to overdo it).

As for the cherries in pregnancy, no problem! Just make sure you don’t indigestion and don’t eat too many, and at the same time make sure they come from. Finally, don’t forget to wash them!

Cherries: harvest period and conservation method

The cherry picking period coincides with the explosion of spring and the arrival of the summer, that is between May and June . These fruits must not be bought unripe because, unlike the others, they do not ripen after the harvest.

After collecting or buying them, put them in a cool place away from humidity, otherwise the heat will make them go bad. The ideal is to put them in the basement or in the refrigerator, keep them in a paper bag and never in a plastic bag from which you purchased the maybe.

Types of cherries: most common varieties

Cherries have a very strong flavor with an acidic aftertaste and a consistency between soft and crunchy . There are several varieties of this fruit which, in addition to varying slightly in taste and consistency, also vary in color which oscillates between yellow and intense red, almost black.

The most common varieties of cherry that can be found in supermarkets or in open-air markets are mainly two: the Prunus avium, or sweet cherry, and the Prunus Cerasus. From the first derive the tenerine , from the soft pulp, and the duracine from the firmer pulp.

From prunus cerasus, however, black cherries , morello cherries and sour cherries are born . These are more “acid” and less loved by children, but are widely used in the preparation of desserts or ice cream.

Among the many varieties, you can also appreciate the famous cherries Durone (or Vignola cherries), a very large fruit with a red-black color, characterized by a firm and crunchy pulp and a sweet and intense taste and the Ferrovia , a large cherry with a bright red color, with a firm and pink flesh.