Generality
The cherries are the fruit, or rather the drupe, of some botanical species of the genus Prunus, especially Prunus avium L. (wild cherry) and Prunus cerasus L. (black cherry or amarasco), belonging to the Rosaceae family .
The cherries are small, about 1-2cm in diameter, have a spherical shape and a more or less deep lateral groove; the color tends to red (with notable differences between the varieties) and the hazelnut contains the bitter almond.
The popular name "cherries" comes from the Greek Chérasos and not from the Latin botanical classification of the plant. Cherries are probably fruits originating from Asia Minor (in particular the Turkish area) from which they were probably imported to Rome in 72 BC; currently, the fruits of Prunus avium L. constitute a discrete source of agricultural production both for Europe and for the United States of America.
NB . In the dialects of central Italy, cherries are still called by the name of " cérase " or other nouns of the genus.
Cherries can be sweet ( Prunus avium L.), ideal to be eaten fresh, preserved in a jar with syrup, candied or dehydrated, or sour / acid ( Prunus cerasus L. - also called sour cherries or marasca cherries), more suitable for canning with alcohol and the production of liqueurs ( maraschino and aromatization of brandy-cherry ) and syrup (black cherry flavor). Obviously, the nutritional value of one or other fruit is significantly different and, as for other foods of the same category, varies considerably according to the state of ripeness.
NB . Italian cherries are an excellent export product, but not fresh, but candied or dehydrated (with sulfur dioxide).
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| Nutritional composition of cherries, candied (food composition tables - INRAN) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The cherry harvest begins in mid-May and ends in the first days of July, depending on the qualities. In Italy, sweet cherries differ in a fair number of botanical varieties, each of which is typical of its diffusion area (the most valuable cherry is undoubtedly the black Vignola corn, typically large, dark and extremely sugary).
Cherries are NOT cheap fruits; a little for the delicacy of the period in which they ripen (frequently subject to rain, and therefore to fungal proliferation), partly due to the very high number of parasites and animal species that feed on them (basically larvae and birds), but above all due to the high cost of collection (by hand, using long wooden ladders), it is not uncommon for cherries to reach retail costs in excess of € 7 per kg (20 May 2013).
Cherries in the diet
Cherries are properly called fruits and their consumption must be contextualized as such; boast a medium energy supply and mainly consisting of simple sugars, while the supply of vitamins and mineral salts favors above all the vit. C (ascorbic acid), retinol equivalents (pro-vitamin A - β-carotene) and potassium (K). The red color of the cherries is due to the content in cyanine.
Because of the high cost, in general, cherries do not lend themselves to satisfying the demand for fruit in the diet completely, but, for those who had the possibility, the medium portions follow exactly those recommended for the rest of the national similar products: about 2 portions per day (from 1 to 3) from about 200g each (from 150 to 300g).
NB . The cherries have a single large seed and are generally marketed with the stem still attached (which, if green and trophic, is an indicator of near collection); these 2 components NOT edible affect about 14% of the total weight, therefore, every 100g of cherries, only 86g affect the nutritional balance of the diet while 14g make up the waste.
Peduncles of Cherries: Phytotherapy
The peduncles of the cherries, commonly and improperly called petioles, are a traditional remedy with a diuretic and mildly laxative action. Thanks to the high content of mineral and organic salts, they act directly in the renal epithelium favoring the expulsion of sodium and stimulating the production of urine (volumetric-natriuretic action). For this they are used in the course of cystitis and urinary infections in general (to exploit the washing action of urine on bacterial colonies), but also in case of edema from heart disease, hypertension, kidney failure and urinary calculi. Naturally, similar therapeutic indications require that the treatment be carried out under the careful medical supervision and make spontaneous self-treatment absolutely inadvisable.
Due to their purifying action, infusions and decoctions based on cherry peduncles are also used to fight cellulite and water retention, and as a valid aid in purifying / detoxifying diets.
The "petioles" of cherries are typically used for the preparation of decoctions or herbal teas. The dose is a handful (30g) of untreated peduncles per liter of water; boil them for 10 minutes and leave them to infuse (flame off) for about 20 minutes; drink half a liter a day (if the cherry peduncles are dry, before preparing the decoction they should be left to soak for 12 hours in cold water).
Video recipes
Ricotta Cheesecake with Coconut and Cherries
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeBibliography:
- New dictionary of applied commodity and chemistry, Volume 2 - GV Villavecchia - Hoepli - pag 958
- Food composition tables - INRAN (National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition).
