Best tasting sweet cherry varieties

I think the one I grew up with was called Bing. But I've tried many different cherries that they called Bing and there were differences. So some of that might be environmental, since I think it's a cultivar made from cuttings where each one is a clone. They are firm and sweet. The ones grown at my dad's Farm without irrigation, were definitely better than some of those being grown for maximum production. We had a neighbor from Crimea in the Ukraine, who had the best around. He bought all of my goat manure, when I was a kid and the income was enough to purchase all of the food I needed for these animals.

I've spent three months in the tropics, in the last year, in the Philippines and in Kenya. I tried many tropical fruits. People were eager to show me fruits that I haven't tried. But I could only describe sweet cherries and many of the wild berries growing in North America. Although I agreed that the local fruits were very good in both countries, I told them that nothing compares to sweet cherries.

Dale Hodgins wrote:I think the one I grew up with was called Bing. But I've tried many different cherries that they called Bing and there were differences. So some of that might be environmental, since I think it's a cultivar made from cuttings where each one is a clone. They are firm and sweet. The ones grown at my dad's Farm without irrigation, were definitely better than some of those being grown for maximum production. We had a neighbor from Crimea in the Ukraine, who had the best around. He bought all of my goat manure, when I was a kid and the income was enough to purchase all of the food I needed for these animals.

Very neat Dale!

I planted a Bing sweet cherry this past Fall, and I'm very excited to taste it, especially after hearing this!

I've spent three months in the tropics, in the last year, in the Philippines and in Kenya. I tried many tropical fruits. People were eager to show me fruits that I haven't tried. But I could only describe sweet cherries and many of the wild berries growing in North America. Although I agreed that the local fruits were very good in both countries, I told them that nothing compares to sweet cherries.

That's awesome! I haven't ever eaten one right off the tree, as it seems like almost no one grows them in my area. Hoping to change that soon! I have Stella and Van sweet cherry trees that I hope to get my first harvest from this year!

We have Sunburst, several Lapins and recently a couple of Reginas. All of them have good firm juicy fruit. On the other hand I don't really remember eating a cherry that I would consider bad

Planting Oktavia and Doenissen's Yellow today for variety. The Yellow is supposedly a good idea for people who can't keep up with birds in cherry eating. Fruit quality should be on par with good red cultivars.

All of the above are of the bigarreau (crunchy) type.

The site is not really very fruit-tree-friendly -- lowlands where spring frost rolls in and stays, so we're not blessed with a good cherry crop each year. We stick with the late-flowering, late-fruiting ones (except Lapins which flowers kinda early but not super early). But really the thing is to grow many different sorts of fruit so however strange the weather gets, you'll always have something.

I like the yellow-orange ones. They’re probably Napoleon as that’s the only one sold around that has that colour. The most in demand here is Lapin if I remember correctly, just because it’s the largest. I don’t know why people choose size over flavour. Stella is most popular for home growers, and although smaller it has a better flavour than Lapin. I planted a cherry tree in my yard but it just doesn’t grow at all; it’s as though that part of my yard is poisoned.

I find cherries underwhelming to be honest, and here we have many cherry orchards that let you pick them from the tree yourself, so I’ve tasted them perfectly fresh. I had this discussion with a friend of mine: his favourite fruit are cherries and least favourite are mangoes, whilst for me it’s the exact opposite.