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Identity & Botany
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Canonical name | Sour Cherry |
| Scientific name | Prunus cerasus |
| Family / Genus | Rosaceae / — |
| Produce category | Stone Fruit |
| FSMA 204 covered? | No |
| AGROVOC URI | c_1800 |
Source: GDF v2.1.1 s01_identity. External: FAO AGROVOC.
Varieties
Estimated commercial varieties: 15.
| Variety | Market share | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Montmorency | 90% | The most dominant sour cherry in North America, primarily grown for processing (pies, preserves, juice). Features bright red skin and flesh, classic tart flavor, and medium size. Highly productive and |
| Balaton | 7% | Hungarian origin. Characterized by darker red skin and flesh than Montmorency, firmer texture, and a slightly higher sugar content, resulting in a less tart flavor suitable for fresh eating as well as |
| Danube (Erdi Botermo) | 1% | Another Hungarian variety. Produces large, dark red fruit with a milder tartness compared to Montmorency, making it suitable for both fresh consumption and processing. Ripens early. |
| English Morello | 0.5% | A very dark red, almost black-skinned and fleshed variety. Extremely tart, making it ideal for cooking, preserves, and liqueurs. Features smaller fruit size and a distinctive weeping growth habit. Rip |
| Northstar | 0.5% | Developed in Minnesota for exceptional cold hardiness. Bears small to medium-sized, bright red fruit with a tart flavor, primarily used for pies and preserves. Known for its dwarf tree habit. |
| Meteor | 0.5% | Another cold-hardy variety from Minnesota. Produces larger fruit than Northstar, bright red, and tart, primarily utilized for pies. Grows as a semi-dwarf tree. |
Source: GDF v2.1.1 s04_varieties.variety_summaries.
Post-Harvest Handling
Temperature
- Chilling injury threshold: null°F.
- Freezing point: 29°F. Hard limit.
- Handling urgency: 4 / 5.
Ethylene
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Production class | very_low |
| Production rate (20°C) | 0.05 µL/kg·h typical (0.01–0.1) |
| Sensitivity class | low |
| Sensitivity threshold | 0.1 ppm |
| Climacteric? | No |
Agent note: Sour cherries are non-climacteric and produce very little ethylene. They are sensitive to exogenous ethylene, which can accelerate senescence and decay, especially stem browning.
Mixed-load compatibility
Ethylene-sensitive, high moisture
Operational flags
- Can be top-iced? Yes
- Light-sensitive? No
Source: GDF v2.1.1 s07_harvest_post_harvest.
Market Intelligence
Demand
Stable for processed products (pies, juice, dried), with growing interest in health-focused segments. Fresh market remains niche and highly seasonal.
Elasticity
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price elasticity | -0.8 |
| Income elasticity | 0.5 |
| Organic premium elasticity | -1 |
Market share by variety
| Variety | Share |
|---|---|
| Montmorency | 95% |
| Balaton | 5% |
Pack sizes
- 1 lb
- 2 lb
- 5 lb
- 10 oz
- 15 oz
Source: GDF v2.1.1 s09_market_intelligence.
Rendered by commodity_profile_renderer v1.0.0 on 2026-05-15T23:50:00.000Z.