We just moved to a new property and we have a couple Evans Cherry trees that I know nothing about. The fruit is turning darker red every day, but is still fairly tart. Is there a way to know when they are ready to pick? Do they start falling off the tree when they are ready or are they overripe by that time? Thanks, Debbie
Evans cherries are sour cherries, not sweet cherries. Pick them now...and for future, they can be picked anytime between light red and dark red. Lots of recipes out there. I usually freeze them for use throughout the year. Freeze them in ziplock bags, 3.5 cups of pitted cherries in a bag will be enough for one pie.
Go by taste, not color. The sugar content rises approaching harvest time (they'll taste better, still tart of course), and the force required to separate the cherry from the stem decreases. If you wait too long, they'll fall on the ground on a windy day.
I did go out and start picking cherries to find that many did come off leaving the pits behind. Most were easy to pick and I was worried that if I left them too much longer the birds would have feasted on them first. After I picked the cherries I came across another reference which indicated that the cherry stems should be cut from the tree with scissors to prevent damage to the tree which will result in possible infection. It was already too late for that, but I'd be curious to know if that is recommended anywhere else. It would certainly make it easier to get the fruit off and would result in cleaner hands!!
The cutting stems reference might be for sweet cherries. The tarts I have worked with will separate, pit from stem, when it's ripe; since the stem stays on the tree there is no damage to worry about. Perhaps yours wasn't quite ready, as the pit didn't easily separate from the stem. Good to beat the birds to them, though.