TART CHERRIES

Tart or sour cherries are different from the Bing sweet cherries we are used to eating. Tart cherries are primarily grown in Michigan and have a slightly acidic but pleasant taste and are mostly used in pies and tarts and other baked goods.

The tart cherry has a more healthful reputation having more antioxidant compounds than the sweet cherries, thus giving it it's richer darker color.

The two main types of tart cherries are the Montmorency and Balaton cherries. They both have very high levels of melatonin, which is an antioxidant, but the Montmorency have about six times as much as the Balaton.

Tart cherries are also lower in sugar by about 3.3 grams in a half cup.

Here is some nutritional information for 1 cup of tart or sour cherries,

• Calories 88
• Calories from fat 2
• No cholesterol
• Sodium 17 mg.
• Carbohydrates 22 g
• Fiber 3 g
• Sugars 19 g
• Protein 2 g
• Also a good source of manganese, iron, and vitamin A