Generality
Cherries are the fruit, or rather the drupe, of some botanical species of the genus Prunus, mostly Prunus avium L. (wild cherry) e Prunus cerasus L. (amareno or amarasco), belonging to the family of Rosaceae.
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 considerable differences between the varieties) and the stone contains the almond with a bitter taste.
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 from the Turkish area) from which they were probably imported to Rome in 72 BC; currently, the fruits of the Prunus avium L.they constitute a good source of agricultural production both for Europe and for the United States of America.
NB. In the dialects of central Italy, cherries are still "now called by the name of"cérase"or other nouns like that.
Cherries can be sweet (Prunus avium L.), ideal to be consumed fresh, preserved in a jar with syrup, candied or dehydrated, or sour / acid (Prunus cerasus L. - also called sour cherries or morello cherries), more suitable for storage in cans with alcohol and for the production of liqueurs (Maraschino and aromatization of brandy-cherry) and syrup (black cherry taste). Obviously, the nutritional value of one or the other fruit is considerably 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).
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
The cherry harvest starts from mid-May and ends with the first days of July, depending on the quality. In Italy, sweet cherries differ in a fair number of botanical varieties, each of which is typical of its area of diffusion (the most prized cherry is undoubtedly the black corn from Vignola, typically large, dark and extremely sugary).
Cherries are NOT cheap fruit; a little "for the delicacy of the period in which they mature (frequently subject to rains, therefore to fungal proliferation), a little" for 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 harvesting (by hand, by means of long wooden ladders), it is not uncommon for cherries to reach retail costs of more than € 7 per kg (20 May 2013).
Cherries in the diet
Cherries are proper fruits and their consumption must be contextualized as such; boast an average energy intake and mainly consisting of simple sugars, while the intake of vitamins and mineral salts favors above all vitamin C (ascorbic acid), the equivalent retinol (pro-vitamin A - β-carotene) and potassium (K The red color of cherries is due to the cyanine content.
Due to the high cost, in general, cherries do not lend themselves to fully satisfy the demand for fruit in the diet but, for those who have the possibility, the average portions are exactly the same as those recommended for the rest of similar national products: about 2 portions per day (from 1 to 3) of about 200g l "one (from 150 to 300g).
NB. Cherries have a single big seed and are generally marketed under the petiole still fixed (which, if green and trophic, is an indicator of near harvest); these 2 NON-edible components affect about 14% of the total weight, therefore, every 100g of cherries, only 86g affect the nutritional balance of the diet while 14g constitute the waste.
Cherry Peduncles: Phytotherapy
The peduncles of 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 reason 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, renal insufficiency and urinary stones. Of course, similar therapeutic indications require that the treatment be carried out under careful medical supervision and make Spontaneous self-therapy is absolutely inadvisable.
For 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 "stalks" of cherries are typically used for the preparation of decoctions or herbal teas. The dose is a handful (30g) of untreated stalks 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 stalks are dry , before preparing the decoction they must be left to soak for 12 hours in cold water).
Video recipes
Ricotta Cheesecake with Coconut and Cherries
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Bibliography:
- New Dictionary of Commodity and Applied Chemistry, Volume 2- G. V. Villavecchia - Hoepli - page 958
- Food composition tables - INRAN (National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition).
