Cherry Kernel Carrier Oil, Certification : FSSAI

The wild cherry, Prunus avium, is a medium-sized deciduous tree with pure white flowers in spring, followed by small, red-purple cherries in summer. The fruits of Prunus avium are edible, but can be rather bitter, so opt for a cultivar if your main reason for growing it is to produce edible fruits.

P. avium originated in the area between the Black and Caspian seas of Asia Minor. Birds may have carried it to Europe prior to human civilization. Cultivation probably began with Greeks, and was perpetuated by Romans, where it was believed to be an essential part of the Legionnaire’s diet (this lead to the spread throughout Europe). Trees were planted along roadsides and were valued for their timber as well as their fruit. Sweet cherries came to the USA with English Colonists in 1629, and later were introduced to California by Spanish Missionaries. In the 1800’s sweet cherries were moved west by pioneers and fur traders to their major sites of production in Washington, Oregon, and California. Cultivars selected at that time still form the base of the industry today. There are less than 100 sweet cherry cultivars grown in the major production regions around the world today. ‘Bing’, ‘Napoleon’ (syn. ‘Royal Ann’), ‘Ranier’, and ‘Lambert’ are the most important cultivars in North America. Pollinizers for ‘Bing’ are often ‘Early Burlat’, ‘Black Tartarian’, and ‘Van’. There are a few self-compatible cultivars such as ‘Stella’ and ‘Lapins’, but they are of poorer quality than ‘Bing’ and others that form the basis of the industry.