Van Cherries
Food Buzz: History of Cherries Listen
Andys Orchard
Van cherries are smooth and rounded, with a deep red to black shiny finish. Each cherry is heart-shaped, and measures around 2 centimeters in diameter. In the center of the cherry is a small, beige-colored pit. The flesh of the Van cherry is firm and juicy, offering a concentrated sweetness with a hint of acidity.
Van cherries are available in the late spring and early summer months.
Van cherries are a variety of sweet cherry, and are botanically classified as Prunus avium. The Van cherry consistently scores above all other sweet cherries in taste tests, and is sweet even when unripe. They measure between 18 to 22 on the Brix scale, the scientific measurement of sweetness. Van cherries have been used to breed other varieties, including the Rainier cherry.
Van cherries are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Van cherries also contain anthocyanins, which are potent antioxidants.
Van cherries can be eaten fresh, or used in both sweet and savory cooked applications. They can be used in jams, preserves, sauces, or desserts, such as sorbets or pie and tart fillings. Favorable pairings include honey, vanilla, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and pistachios. They can be used in salads alongside ingredients like fennel and arugula, and they also pair well with creamy or salty cheeses, smoked meats, poultry, and pork. Store Van cherries in a bag in the refrigerator, where they will last for around a week. They can be pitted, then dried or frozen to extend their shelf life.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
British Columbia, home of the Van cherry, is where the world's largest cherry pie was baked in 1992. It weighed 39,683 pounds.
Van cherries were the first variety of cherry released by the Summerland Research Station in British Columbia. They were made available in 1944, and were subsequently adopted in various parts of the world, including the United States, Germany and Australia. Van cherry trees have to be pollinated in order to bear fruit, and they were popular up until the 1960s, when self-fertile cherry varieties came into favor. As a result, Van cherries are commercially produced today on a smaller scale. Van cherry trees do well in temperate regions, and take from 3 to 5 years to bear fruit.
Recipes that include Van Cherries. One is easiest, three is harder.
Chez Us Gluten Free Cherry Clafoutis
Iowa Girl Eats Chicken with Cherry-Wine Pan Sauce (20 Minute Meal)
Nourished Kitchen Brandied Cherries
Food for 7 Stages of life Cherry Rasam (South Indian Hot and Sour Soup)
Serious Eats Pork Tenderloin With Fresh Cherry and Chile Salsa
The Pretty Bee Cherry Peach Chia Seed Pudding
The Complete Savorist Balsamic Cherries and Ricotta