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Tart Varieties
Jubileum: A new tart cherry developed in Hungary. The fruit are very large and have a dark red flesh. Although it is considered a tart cherry it is not as tart as Montmorency. Fruit has very high sugar levels.
Dantube: A popular variety from Europe, the fruit are dark red and slightly sweeter than Montmorency. The fruit are medium to large. The trees may be a little less winter hardy than Montmorency. Fruit ripens about 1 week before Montmorency.
Montmorency: This is the number one tart variety and the industry standard. It is productive, but the flowers are susceptible to late spring frosts. It ripens around the last week of June to the first week of July.
Surefire: A recent introduction from Cornell University. This tart variety is late blooming thereby, avoiding damage from spring frosts. The fruit is bright red and medium in size.
Balaton: A new late-maturing tart variety that ripens about 7 to 10 days after Montmorency. The fruit is large, very firm with a red burgundy juicy flesh.
Northstar: A dark-juiced cherry with mahogany-red fruit, medium in size. Trees are very hardy and small, which makes them easier to cover with a net to keep birds out. It ripens about July 7 in southcentral Pennsylvania.
Meteor: Medium-sized, semifirm, good-quality fruit. The trees are somewhat larger than Northstar and are equally hardy. Because the oddly shaped pit can shatter during processing, this variety has not been commercially accepted; for home use, this is not a problem. Harvest is approximately 3 to 7 days after Northstar.