Key information

Colour: Bright to dark red

In season: June – July 

Power to perform: Cherries are a good source of potassium, helping your body balance fluids and keep your heart muscle working properly, especially important during exercise!

Grow me: Cherries are best planted in late February and grow well as small trees, or against a wall or fence. Sweet cherries prefer sunny spots, whereas ‘acid’ (or sour) cherries can be placed in some shade.

Did you know?

• The word cherry is connected to the name of a city in ancient Greece – Cerasus (the city sits in modern day Turkey, now called Giresun). Historians think this is where cherries first arrived in Europe, although they are not sure in the fruit was named after the city, or the city named after the fruit!
• The most expensive box of cherries ever sold cost $35,000 Australian dollars (that's about £19,625)! The money went to a children’s charity.
• Some cherry trees produce beautiful flowers (or blossom) – the cherry blossom season in Japan is famous throughout the world! However, these trees often have been grown and cultivated just for their flowers, and do not produce any fruit.  

Ideas garden

Remember to ask an adult's permission before experimenting with any cherry ideas!

Get creative

Cherries can help make many delicious recipes, but what about the stems? Get creative, and reduce food waste, by preparing your very own cherry stem tea! The stems need to be dried first, so spread them on clean paper for a few days to dry, before storing in an airtight container. For a cup of tea, take two teaspoons of your dried stems, and brew in boiling water for about ten minutes, leave to stand for twenty minutes, then strain and enjoy hot or cold.

Alternatively, how about featuring cherries in the classroom? The many varieties of cherry – sweet, tart, dried, canned, fresh – offer great opportunities to compare and contrast the taste, texture and costs of different types with these fruity activity ideas.

Get cooking

We all know cherries can be used in some delicious desserts (harvest crumble, or crunchy compote anyone?), but how about making it a feature for a main course or side? Add cherries to a cucumber salad (season with white wine vinegar, salt and pepper, olive oil and basil), or mix with couscous, rocket, goats cheese and some vinaigrette, to give a sweetness to a summer picnic. Cherries can also be used to create a tasty sauce for some grilled chicken or halloumi, or later in the year dried cherries can boost a warming winter stew. For some liquid refreshment, you could also feature cherries in your very own smart smoothie recipe.

Whatever you do, remember to share your recipes (or any other cooking stories) with #GetSetEatFresh or as a showcase for the chance to win some Get Set to Eat Fresh goodies!