{"title":"Best Cherries for Drying","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 3 varieties in our catalog that scored 8 or higher out of 10 for drying. Scored on sugar concentration, flesh texture and whether the flavor holds up once the water is gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn 8 is Very good on the adapted Beach (1905) grade, a 9 is Very good to best and a 10 is Best. Varieties that scored 6 or 7 are genuinely good at this too, and you will find them under the matching Shop by Use group.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery score in this list is sourced. Nothing is here because it is popular, and nothing is here on our word alone. The full evidence, including what each variety scored for every other use and why, is in the use guide.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"montmorency-tart-cherry","title":"Montmorency Tart Cherry","description":"\u003ch3 data-start=\"4953\" data-end=\"4967\"\u003eOverview\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4968\" data-end=\"5348\"\u003eOne of the most famous tart cherries and most widely grown in the US, Montmorency is thought to have originated in the Montmorency Valley just north of Paris, where it was named after a noble family that had grown it since the 13th century. French settlers moving up the St. Lawrence River Valley toward the Great Lakes brought it to the New World around 1760, or perhaps earlier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5350\" data-end=\"5901\"\u003eAlthough the literature on Montmorency does not indicate why Montmorency was imported from Europe over other cultivars, we suspect it was because of its cold hardiness. Given how much more temperate Europe is generally speaking than Canada, around the Great Lakes, and other northern areas where Montmorency was first grown, it is likely that many of the other tart cherry cultivars did not survive harsher winters. Meanwhile, we have seen Montmorency growing in cuspy zone 3\/4 areas. Still not as hardy as meteor, and certainly not as hardy as Evan's Bali or the dwarf cherries, though, for Montana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"5903\" data-end=\"5923\"\u003eFlavor and Use\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5924\" data-end=\"6249\"\u003eThe Montmorency fruit sweetens as it ripens, but remains fairly tart for most people to eat out of hand. However, its flavor and tartness makes for spectacular dried cherries. Plant in conjunction with Danube, which is less tart (albeit still a tart cherry), and complements the Montmorency in terms of uses. Hardy to zone 3\/4, or roughly -35F (possibly -40F in protected sites).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Montana Fruit Trees","offers":[{"title":"Mahaleb Semi-Standard: 5-7 ft. (Pruned to 5 ft. for Shipping)","offer_id":42500893442114,"sku":null,"price":64.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Mahaleb Semi-Standard: 5-7 ft. (Larger \u0026 More Branching) Pruned to 5 ft. for Shipping","offer_id":42500893474882,"sku":null,"price":89.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5687\/2514\/files\/montmorency-tart-cherry-on-tree.webp?v=1789020640"},{"product_id":"meteor-tart-cherry","title":"Meteor Tart Cherry","description":"\u003ch3\u003eOverview\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeteor is a tart (sour) cherry introduced in 1952 by the University of Minnesota fruit breeding program at Excelsior, Minnesota. It was developed for cold climates and later ripening than Montmorency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistory \u0026amp; Parentage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExtension and pomology references describe Meteor as a cross of Montmorency × a Russian-type selection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFruit Quality \u0026amp; Uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeteor produces medium-sized, bright red tart cherries with clear juice and semi-firm flesh, ripening about a week after Montmorency (typically around early August here in Missoula, MT). It’s typically positioned as a kitchen\/processing cherry for pies, baking, sauce, preserves, and juice. But in our experience, they make dried cherries just as good as Montmorency. One extension note also mentions it’s not ideal for commercial processing because the pit can behave poorly during pitting in some settings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGrowth Habit \u0026amp; Spacing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeteor is widely sold as a naturally smaller tart cherry tree (often described around the 10–12 ft class in home-orchard contexts), with an upright to spreading habit. A practical spacing for a small tart cherry like this is commonly 10–12 ft (wider if you want more airflow and less pruning pressure). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePollination\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeteor is as self-fruitful (self-fertile). Even so, tart cherries often crop heavier with another tart cherry nearby that blooms at a similar time. Will cross with Evan's Bali tart cherry or even the dwarf cherries. Could also cross with the less hardy Danube\/Montmorency, although if you're planting this due to its adaptability to the cold, plant with either Evan's or the dwarf cherries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCold Hardiness\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a concrete mid-winter extreme figure, Meteor can tolerate down to about −50°F when fully dormant. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Montana Fruit Trees","offers":[{"title":"Mazzard Full Size: 5-7 ft. One Year Older Larger \u0026 More Branching (Pruned to 5 ft. for shipping)","offer_id":42539794104386,"sku":null,"price":119.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5687\/2514\/files\/meteor-tart-cherry-on-tree.jpg?v=1789020605"},{"product_id":"balaton-tart-cherry","title":"Balaton Tart Cherry","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew for Spring 2027! These are the best pie cherries we have ever had! \u003c\/strong\u003eBalaton (Újfehértói Fürtös) is a Hungarian dark tart cherry, and it is one of the clonal landrace pie cherries out of Hungary, the same group as Danube and Erde Jubileum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe had grown both Danube and Erde Jubileum and thought highly of them, but we had not tried Balaton until this year. Balaton may take the cake. These cherries have real size and real flavor, and the flesh is a deep burgundy rather than the pale flesh of a Montmorency. They made the best cherry pie we have had, and the best looking one, too. Hardy to zone 3b (to about -35F).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFuller description coming soon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Montana Fruit Trees","offers":[{"title":"Mazzard Full Size: 5-7 ft. (Pruned to 5 ft. for Shipping)","offer_id":45191724171330,"sku":null,"price":64.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Mazzard Full Size: 5-7 ft. (Larger \u0026 More Branching) Pruned to 5 ft. for Shipping","offer_id":45191724204098,"sku":null,"price":89.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5687\/2514\/files\/BalatonTartCherry.jpg?v=1789173522"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.montanafruittrees.com\/collections\/best-cherries-for-drying.oembed","provider":"Montana Fruit Trees","version":"1.0","type":"link"}