Seasonal Spotlight: Foraging Tart Cherries (Prunus cerasus)
Introduction
~ 5-minute read
Summer has arrived in full bloom, and with it, the tart cherry trees along the Front Range are bursting with fruit. Their bright red and orange drupes hang like little solar offerings, and if you’ve ever wondered whether it’s safe to harvest them, the answer is yes. Tart cherries are easy to identify, safe to forage, and incredibly rewarding to preserve and enjoy. In this post, we’ll share some identification tips, harvesting notes, processing methods, and the Ayurvedic and herbal benefits of this bright, sour, seasonal gift.
Identifying Tart Cherries (Prunus cerasus)
These cherries are part of the Rose family (Rosaceae) and Prunus genus. They are easily recognized by their “drupe” structure: soft flesh surrounding a single hard pit. You’ll see this same botanical feature in peaches, plums, nectarines, and even almonds. Their signature red-to-orange hue and clustered, dangling growth make tart cherries unmistakable, with no known toxic look-alikes.
Forage Rating: ★★★★★ — Easy to identify, safe to harvest, and plentiful in urban and wild areas.
Safety Note: While tart cherry trees are a safe and friendly wild food for beginners, always double-check plant ID before harvesting. Use a local guidebook or a plant ID app, and if you’re unsure- don’t harvest. Respect the land and plants, forage responsibly, and only take what you’ll use.
Where and How to Forage
Along the eastern Rockies, Montmorency tart cherries thrive in public parks, trail edges, and front-yard plantings. Once established, they’re incredibly productive. We gathered over 10 pounds in just about an hour from rural areas, making this one of the more rewarding (and delicious) summer foraging adventures.
Processing & Preserving Your Harvest
Once harvested, tart cherries offer a wide range of uses from fresh eating to long-term storage. Because they’re low in pectin, they don’t make jam easily without adding pectin, so we focused instead on two simple preparations: fresh juice and an antioxidant-rich syrup.
These methods are easy and make delicious treats!
How to Extract Tart Cherry Juice
What You’ll Need:
Fresh tart cherries (rinsed and de-stemmed)
A mesh strainer, fine sieve, or colander
A large mixing bowl
Clean hands or gloves for pressing
Clean glass jars for storage
Steps:
Place a handful of cherries into the strainer over your bowl.
Mash the cherries gently with your hand until the juice runs through.
Discard the pits and skins (or save them for syrup-making).
Repeat until all cherries are juiced.
Pour juice into clean jars. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for later. Yum!
We were amazed at the yield — from around 10 lbs of cherries, we extracted over a gallon of juice in just an hour.
How to Make Tart Cherry Syrup (From Leftover Pulp)
What You’ll Need:
Leftover cherry pulp (from juice pressing)
A medium pot
Fine strainer or cheesecloth
Raw honey or sweetener of choice
Clean glass jar for storage
Steps:
Place the cherry pulp in a pot. There will likely be some juice still on there. If not, add enough water to coat them.
Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10-20 minutes.
Strain the liquid through a sieve or cheesecloth to remove solids.
Return the liquid to the pot and simmer uncovered until it reduces by about half.
Let it cool slightly, then stir in ¼–½ cup of raw honey (per pint) to preserve and sweeten.
Store in the fridge for up to 1 month, or freeze for longer storage.
These two preparations not only maximize the harvest, they give you vibrant, nutrient-rich options for use all year. Add the juice to sparkling water or a mocktail, drizzle the syrup on pancakes or oatmeal, or sip both as part of your evening wind-down to support healthy sleep.
Note: Vitamin C degrades at temperatures above 95°F, so while boiling preserves flavor and anthocyanin, some nutrient loss occurs. Fresh or lightly warmed preparations will retain more vitamin C.
Health Benefits of Tart Cherries
Tart cherries are packed with health-supportive properties and are especially helpful in the summer months. They’re rich in melatonin, making them a natural ally for sleep and circadian balance — especially helpful if long summer days are throwing off your rhythm.
Modern Herbal Actions Include:
Supporting deep, restful sleep
Reducing inflammation and joint pain
Enhancing cardiovascular function
Supporting immune and detox pathways
Providing potent antioxidants for cellular repair
Ayurvedic Perspective
Tart cherries offer a combination of the sour, sweet, and astringent tastes. The sour flavor corresponds with the water and fire elements, which can be both balancing or aggravating, depending on your constitution. Pitta dosha is also made up of the water and fire elements. Like increases like, so the sour flavor can increase pitta. It also has an effect on the blood, liver and spleen.
They reduce vata and kapha while increasing pitta, making them ideal for those with sluggish digestion or lymphatic stagnation. Energetically, tart cherries nourish rasa dhatu (plasma/lymph) and rakta dhatu (blood), making them supportive for detoxification, menstrual health, and skin clarity.
Seasonal Effects:
Summer is pitta season, it is hot, bright, and intense. While tart cherries are also heating, their sourness can help stimulate digestion and eliminate excess moisture from the tissues, which can help balance kapha that builds up from spring. Their ability to support rasa and rakta makes them ideal for maintaining fluid balance during hot months, just take care not to overdo it if your pitta is already high.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re steeping syrup for pancakes, sipping cherry juice as a nighttime tonic, or simply snacking from a vibrant tree, tart cherries offer potent seasonal medicine and joy. They remind us that food and health are not separate, and that reconnecting to nature’s rhythms is fun and nourishing.
Curious About Seasonal Eating & Plant-Based Healing?
If you’re ready to explore your relationship to food, nature, and your own healing rhythm, we’re here to support you. At Veda Kala Ayurveda, we offer personalized Ayurvedic consultations and education to help you reconnect with your body and the natural world.
Book a consultation or learn more about how to build seasonal, soul-centered wellness with us.
