Higher brix tart cherries - experiences?

General Fruit Growing
#1

Ever since I had success getting English Morello tart cherry to fruit in my San Diego backyard, I have been curious about what other cultivars would work. Kansas Sweet does, which I confirmed this year. It seems like there is not as much interest in exploring other cultivars in lower chill areas.

The NY cherry collection has a ton of data on brix, or at least a qualitative rating on soluble solids, for prunus cerasus.

https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/search

I am curious if people have found the higher brix tart cherries to be better? Here are the data I have seen from NY (and elsewhere):

Shubinka, 24 brix (is that a typo on the NY site? Seriously? Does anyone grow this?)
Jubileum 20
Studencheskaya 19
Balaton 18
Tamaris 18
Kansas Sweet 16
Danube 15
Belle Magnifique 15 (considered a Duke/hybrid)
Amarena di Pescara 15

Obviously these numbers will vary based on where grown, when picked, what year, what part of orchard, what part of tree, etc. In the Bay Area, I am told, Amarena and Jubileum fruit moderately okay (but taste amazing), Balaton and Danube are less productive. Belle Magnifique is loaded with fruit and tastes amazing. Usually that predicts it will do okay where I am.

Does anyone have experience with other higher brix tart cherry cultivars?

1 Like
#2

I have no experience with these, but I see GRIN lists PI 75191, Prunus cerasus L., ‘Bianco Rosato Di Piemonte’ as a brix of 28.

Also, PI 125725, Prunus cerasus L., ‘Belle de Planchoury’ has a listed brix of 19.5. I think this one is supposed to be a yellow fruited sour cherry.

#3

Intriguing! One of the maraschino cultivars, I believe.

Here is an article describing the story of how some of the modern higher brix cultivars were developed by Amy Iezzoni in Michigan from eastern European germplasm: