Meteor Sour Cherry Tree: How To Plant And Grow Your Own Sour Cherries
The Meteor Sour Cherry Tree is a delicious type of sour cherry tree that has been grown in the United States for over 100 years. The trees are found in many different regions and provide an excellent source of food to wildlife as well as humans. In this blog post, we will discuss exactly what these trees are, where they grow best, how you can care for them properly and why they should be planted on your property today!
The Meteor Sour Cherry could double as the cherry pie tree because it makes the most magnificent pies, and bakers all around love using Meteor Sour cherries to give their baked goods a burst of flavor. Planting a Montmorency Cherry and a Meteor Sour Cherry will provide you with two of the absolute best cherry trees for making pies, sauces, and baked goods. Pink blooms mixed with bright red fruit make the Meteor Sour Cherry a unique contrast of color anywhere on your property.
If you are looking for a cherry tree to add to an already established backyard orchard, or you want to add one to your small lot, the Meteor Sour Cherry provides a huge harvest with continuous season display. Learn how to grow your own and in what ways you can use these sour cherries by continuing on in this article.
Can I Freeze These Cherry Hand Pies
You sure can! Youll want to freeze them after baking, not before. Make sure that your hand pies are completely cool before lining them up on a baking sheet for a quick freeze. After about two hours, youll want to remove the baking sheet and transfer them into a freezer bag for long-term storage. They will last about two months in the freeze.
To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and crisp in the oven.
The Fantastic North Star Cherry Tree
The North Star Cherry isnt just your everyday cherry treeit was created by blending modern science with traditional horticulture. The North Star Cherry was developed by researchers to create a tree that was not only hardy and disease resistant, but also had delicious fruit. The North Star Cherry tree has stood the test of time for over 50 years.
This is your one-stop guide to everything about North Star Cherries. Whether you are looking to grow your own or you need some culinary inspiration, weve got it all!
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Popular Fruits For Pie
Apples: There are countless apple varieties to choose from, so there’s something for everyone when it comes to choosing an apple for pie. Some of the most highly regarded pie apples are Wolf River Apple, Northern Spy Apple, Twenty Ounce Apple, Cortland Apple, Granny Smith Apple, and one of our favorites for exceptional flavor and composition Golden Delicious Apple!
Some things to look for in a pie apple are: texture when cooked, flavor after cooking , and sweetness some apples result in a pie that is “too sweet”, so you may notice that many pie apples are naturally more tart to start with. The tartness is also relative to the fruits ability to keep its shape when cooked.
Peaches: There are many ways to enjoy peaches in a pie. Peels on or off? White flesh or yellow flesh? It all comes down to personal taste however, removing the pit is highly recommended, so freestone peaches may be the best choice when it comes to making peach pie.
Two popular varieties for pies are the Sun Haven Peach, since it resists browning and its wonderfully “peachy” flavor shines through even when cooked and Intrepid Peach, which has high marks in flavor and texture when baked on top of coming from a hardy and disease-resistant tree. 4th of July Peach is semi-freestone, which may take a little more work to pit, but its excellent flavor and texture in baking is so worth it!
Ingredients For Your Easy Pillsbury Christmas Tree Hand Pie
Cherries: Canned cherry pie filling makes this recipe quick and easyPie Crust: While you are free to make your own pie crust from scratch, Pillsburys ready-made crust is a great shortcut to use any time youre short on time.Eggs: These will give your pastry a golden brown exterior and enticing shine!Sanding Sugar: While this is optional, it gives the hand pies a crunchy, caramelized sweetness to the top.
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Tips To Make The Best Pie
This is the cherry pie recipe my Grandma used. I can still smell a freshly baked pie right from the oven. That sweet and tangy cherry aroma, combined with the buttery pie crust!
What Does A Meteor Cherry Taste Like
A Meteor Cherry is considered a sour cherry because of its tart and tangy flavor. There are various varieties of cherries that are sweet, but sour cherries are an entirely separate category.
As you begin to harvest your tart cherry tree, you will be greeted by large, plump red fruit, and as you take a bite, your welcome with a yellow interior bursting with unique flavors. Tart cherry is a lot more acidic than their sweet cherry counterparts, which is one reason they work better in cherry pies and cobblers. More often than not, sour cherries like the Montmorency and Meteor hold their shape and flavor remarkably well when cooked, steamed, or canned.
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Regular Cherries Vs Pie Cherries
When it comes to pie cherries vs. normal cherry, the biggest difference is the amount of sugar youll need to utilize. Pie cherries, also known as sour cherries, are not nearly as sweet as regular cherry and must be sweetened with a lot of sugar. If youre following a recipe, check to see if sweet or sour cherries are required. Sour cherries are frequently used in recipes. You can swap one for the other, but the sugar will need to be adjusted as well. Otherwise, you can wind up with a pie that is either too sweet or too sour to eat. Furthermore, sour pie cherries are typically juicier than sweet cherries, and unless a little cornstarch is added, the pie will be runnier.
History Of The North Star Cherry
The North Star Cherry has one of the most unique histories when it comes to cherry trees. This cultivar got its start as a new type of cherry tree developed by the University of Minnesota.
The University of Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm crossed the English Morello with the Serbian Pie No. 1 to create the North Star cherries that we love today. They completed their project in 1950 and this tree has been a staple of gardens ever since.
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What Are The Best Cherries For Pie
Do you know the difference between cherries youd eat and those youd use in baking or cooking? There are many different types of cherries, all with different hues, but they are divided into two categories: sweet and sour. That distinction may seem minor, but its critical to understand and remember when baking or cooking with cherry since there are some considerations to make or youll wind up with a watery pie that tastes wincingly sour.
Dont get us wrong: you can bake with any cherries you choose, but if you want to make a traditional cherry pie, only one type of cherry should be used: sour cherries.
Cherry trees arent all created equal. There are two basic types: sour and sweet, each with its unique set of applications. Sweet cherries are sold in grocery shops and eaten straight, whereas sour cherries are difficult to consume on their own and are rarely sold fresh in supermarkets. Sweet cherries can be baked into pies, while sour cherries are meant for pies. Continue reading to find out which cherries are best for pies.
What Are Meteor Sour Cherries
Meteor Sour Cherry trees are a type of fruit tree that will provide you a bountiful harvest every single summer. These trees are similar to other cherry trees like the Stella Cherry and Sweetheart Cherry because they have year-round colors. White delicate flowers in the Spring and bronze fall foliage complement the large fruit that summer brings.
A Meteor Cherry Tree has an upright growth pattern and, as time goes on will need to be pruned to maintain its small shape. The Tart Cherry Tree is fairly resilient, being adaptable to a variety of soil types, disease-resistant, and cold hardy. Compared to other fruit trees, the dwarf stature of the Meteor Cherry Tree makes it much smaller than other sweet cherry trees you see. With a shorter height, finding an optimal space will be a lot easier.
The Meteor Cherry Tree was created, developed, and cultivated at the University of Minnesota and has been made to withstand cold temperatures and be an all-around heavy producer. These shrubs can survive up to -50 degree temperatures and have no issues, which is absolutely spectacular. If you live in the more northern region, a Meteor Cherry Shrub may be just what you were looking for. A Meteor cherry is a hybrid of the popular Montmorency cherry, which is a tart cherry that is extremely loved by many, including wildlife.
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Best Sour Cherry Tree
The Montmorency cherry is the most popular sour cherry in the United States and Canada. In fact, per the Arbor Day Foundation, ‘Montmorency’ cherries account for 95 percent of all sour cherries grown. Montmorency cherries are bright red with flesh that is firm and yellow. They produce a clear juice. They are regarded as the best tasting cherries for baking or making preserves.
A standard Montmorency cherry tree can be up to 18 feet tall, though there is a dwarf version that has a maximum height of 8 feet and needs to be staked to avoid being weighed down by the fruit. Montmorency cherry trees are self-pollinating however, the Arbor Day Foundation recommends growing at least two of these trees together for best results. Montmorency cherries ripen in June. Considered a hardy tree, the Montmorency cherry produces fruit more reliably in cold climates than sweet cherry trees.
Best Flowering Cherry Varieties
If you are looking to plant cherry trees for their spectacular spring blooms rather than for their fruit, then the flowering cherry varieties are the best choice. Per the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, seven Prunus species are considered flowering cherries. One of the most renowned is the Yoshino cherry , which is the focal point of the International Cherry Blossom Festival, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. This cherry tree variety is prized for its copious white-pink blooms, which appear in March and April.
Another extremely popular flowering variety is the Kazan cherry , which is usually displayed alongside the Yoshino cherry in Washington, D.C. every year. This show-stopping Prunus cultivar features showy pink double flowers without producing fruit. It grows in a vase-like shape and, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, is also a great option for a bonsai tree.
References
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How To Make Mini Cherry Hand Pies
1. Preheat oven to 350. Allow pie crusts to come to room temperature. Make an egg wash and set aside.2. Roll out pie crust, cut out tress, spoon on pie filling, and seal per the recipe below.3. Brush crusts with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.4. Bake until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Easy Mini Christmas Tree Hand Pies Faqs
Can I cut this recipe in half?
If you dont need 28 hand pies, you can just use one box of Pillsbury pie crust for 7-9 pies or 2 boxes for 14-16 pies! Note, you will have leftover cherry pie filling.
Do I have to use Pillsbury brand pie crust?
Nope! If you have another favorite ready-made pie crust, thats totally fine! I just prefer to use Pillsbury as its the best that is offered at my grocery store.
Can I use another pie filling?
You sure can. You could also try raspberry, apple or blueberry hand pies too! Rhubarb and strawberry, etc. The skys the limit with this recipe!
Do you need the coarse sanding sugar?
You dont need it but for presentation sake, you want it. If you want to get really festive, you can even use a red or green sanding sugar to go along with your cherry hand pies!
Do I have to use the egg wash?
No, BUT you will have a harder time getting your hand pies too brown if you dont use the egg wash. The egg wash helps with that golden-brown color we all love so much! You may end up overcooking your hand pies trying to achieve that look without it.
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What Does This Fruit Taste Like
This cherry tree has a unique taste. The North Star Cherry is very tart at first, but quickly develops into a nice, sweet-sour flavor. These fruits are great for both cooking and eating raw as their flavor makes them versatile in the kitchen.
North Star Cherries can change their flavor depending on how you cook them.
Notes & Faqs To Help You Make The Best Cherry Pie Ever
Can you make the recipe with frozen cherries
Absolutely! We use frozen pitted sweet cherries in this recipe.
How long to bake the pie?
Great question! The time shown in the recipe card is fairly accurate, but it all depends on the altitude you live at and your oven. If unsure, use less time, as you can always add on more time if needed.
Do you pre bake pie crust?
This recipe does not require you to pre bake the pie crust.
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