sweet cherries politics farm stands nations

Sour cherries in particular became established in the Great Lakes region, where they grew well in the humid, moderate conditions.Ĭanada has traditionally been a small player in the sour cherry market, representing less than half a percent of the world's production in 2006 and ranking 23 rd among the 32 countries producing the crop that year. Production by the world's top five sour cherry-producing countries and Canada, average 1997 to 2006Ĭherries were brought to North America by English settlers. Though sweet cherry cultivation is also increasing in Canada, they are considered a separate commodity since they are a fresh seasonal product that grows in different climatic regions than the sour cherry.

This article's focus is on the development of the sour cherry in Canada. The new dwarf sour cherries have many advantages, from their cold-hardiness, which allows them to survive cold Canadian winters, to the short stature of the bush, making them easy and economical to harvest. These new sour cherry varieties are not only suited specifically to colder regions of Canada's climate, but have a sweetness and bright colour that differ from conventional sour cherries. Compared to sweet cherries, they tend to hold their shape and texture better in cooking, and their tartness mellows into a deep, sweet flavour making them highly prized for all processed cherry products.Ĭanadian plant breeders have been working to produce a third type of cherry, one that combines the best traits of both sweet and sour cherries. They make up the majority of the processed cherries we consume, from pie fillings to dried cherries, cherry preserves and cherry juice. Sour cherries (known as 'tart cherries' in the United States), are aptly named compared to regular sweet cherries. Historically there have been two main types of cherries: sweet cherries, which we eat fresh from the tree and farmers' markets in the summer, and sour cherries, which we find in a variety of processed forms. Please ' contact us' to request a format other than those available.īy Adrienne Montgomery, Statistics Canada It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes.

Sweet cherries politics farm stands nations