The cherries you find in the produce aisle are almost always sweet cherries. Bing, Rainier, Lapins, Sweetheart, and Skeena are among the most common sweet varieties sold fresh in North America. Tart cherries (sometimes labeled sour cherries) are a completely different species, and they’re rarely sold fresh because they’re too acidic to eat out of hand. If you’re standing in a grocery store wondering which bag to grab, here’s what separates the varieties and how to spot the sweetest ones.
Sweet vs. Tart: Two Different Species
Sweet cherries and tart cherries aren’t just different flavors of the same fruit. They come from different species entirely. Sweet cherries tend to be larger, with skin that ranges from deep mahogany to a golden-pink blush. Tart cherries are smaller and bright red, with softer flesh that breaks down easily. That’s why tart varieties like Montmorency almost always end up dried, frozen, or in juice and pie filling rather than in the fresh fruit section.
Nutritionally, 100 grams of sweet cherries has about 63 calories compared to 50 for sour cherries. Sweet cherries carry more sugar, which accounts for the calorie difference. Sour cherries actually contain more total phenolic compounds (roughly 250 mg per 100 g versus 180 mg for sweet), though sweet cherries pack significantly more anthocyanins, the pigments responsible for their deep color.
The Most Common Sweet Varieties
Dozens of sweet cherry cultivars exist, but only a handful dominate the market. They fall into two broad color categories: dark cherries and blush (yellow-pink) cherries.
Dark Cherries
Bing is the classic. It’s the variety most people picture when they think of cherries: deep mahogany skin, firm texture, and a balanced sweet flavor that works well for snacking, baking, and preserves. Bing cherries set the standard that other dark varieties are measured against.
Lapins are similar to Bing in color and size but tend to be slightly firmer, which helps them hold up during shipping. Skeena cherries share that same light-mahogany-to-mahogany range and are known for large fruit size. Sweetheart is one of the later-season dark varieties, with a lighter mahogany color and, as the name suggests, a reliably sweet profile. Chelan ripens earlier in the season than most, giving it a head start in stores, while Regina and Ebony Pearl skew toward the darkest end of the spectrum with a dark mahogany finish.
Blush Cherries
Rainier cherries are the standout here. They have golden-yellow skin with a pink or red blush, and they carry one of the highest sugar contents of any stone fruit, surpassing even most plums, peaches, and apricots. That sweetness, combined with their delicate appearance and shorter harvest window, earns them a premium price tag. You’ll typically pay 50% to 100% more per pound for Rainiers than for Bing.
Early Robin and Radiance Pearl are two other blush varieties that appear in stores, though less commonly. They share that same yellow-pink look and tend toward a milder, honey-like sweetness compared to the bolder flavor of dark varieties.
Which Variety Is the Sweetest?
Rainier cherries consistently top the sweetness charts. Their sugar content is notably higher than Bing and other dark varieties. If pure sweetness is what you’re after, Rainier is the clear choice.
That said, sweetness alone doesn’t always mean better flavor. Dark varieties like Bing offer a more complex taste because they balance their sugar with a slight tartness and richer depth. Many people prefer that contrast over the straightforward sweetness of a Rainier. It’s the difference between a caramel and a piece of dark chocolate: both are sweet, but the experience is different. For cooking, jams, and sauces, the darker varieties tend to deliver more flavor complexity. For eating fresh and wanting that candy-like hit of sugar, Rainier wins.
How to Pick the Sweetest Cherries at the Store
Regardless of variety, ripeness is the biggest factor in how sweet a cherry tastes. A perfectly ripe Bing will be sweeter than an underripe Rainier. Here’s what to look for:
- Color depth matters. For dark varieties, the deepest red cherries are the sweetest. Lighter red ones were picked earlier and won’t have developed their full sugar. For Rainier types, look for a pronounced pink-red blush over the yellow base.
- Size is a clue. Ripe sweet cherries should be about quarter-sized or larger. Smaller fruit often means it was harvested before reaching peak sweetness.
- Skin should be smooth and taut. The surface should look glossy and feel firm when you gently press it. Wrinkled skin, mushy texture, or juice leaking from the flesh means the cherry is overripe and breaking down.
- Check the stem. Green, flexible stems indicate a recently harvested cherry. Brown, brittle stems suggest the fruit has been sitting for a while and may have lost some of its freshness.
Storing Cherries to Keep Them Sweet
Sweet cherries are perishable. At room temperature, they’ll soften and lose flavor within a day or two. Refrigerate them as soon as you get home and plan to eat them within three to five days. Leave them unwashed until you’re ready to eat, because moisture speeds up spoiling and mold growth. If you do wash them early, dry them thoroughly before putting them back in the fridge.
For longer storage, cherries freeze well. Pit them first, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer to a freezer bag. Frozen cherries lose some of their firmness when thawed, but the sugar content stays intact, making them a good option for smoothies, baking, or cooking into sauces months after the season ends.
When Sweet Cherries Are in Season
In North America, sweet cherry season runs roughly from late May through August, with peak availability in June and July. Early varieties like Chelan arrive first, followed by mid-season standards like Bing and Rainier, and late-season varieties like Sweetheart and Skeena extending the window into August. Imported cherries from Chile and other Southern Hemisphere growers fill some of the gap during winter months, though they’re typically more expensive and have traveled farther, which can affect firmness and flavor.
Buying cherries at the peak of their local season gives you the best shot at maximum sweetness, because the fruit spends less time in transit and more time ripening on the tree where it develops its sugar.