Black Cherries vs. Red Cherries: What’s the Real Difference?

Imagine you have two cherries sitting in your hand: One is rose-red, and the other is so dark burgundy it’s nearly black. Is it just the color that sets them apart, or is the difference between black cherries vs. red cherries more than skin deep?

To find out, we spoke to two industry experts who explained what these fruit names actually mean in the grocery store and beyond.

Black Cherries vs. Red Cherries: They’re More Alike Than You Think

The term “black cherry” can be confusing for fruit lovers because it has different meanings in different contexts. But to our experts, if you see black cherries and red cherries side by side at the grocery store, they’re basically the same thing. “Black cherry” and “red cherry” are two different names for the same type of fruit: the sweet cherry, aka Prunus avium. The main difference is their color.

“In the commercial fruit industry, ‘black cherry’ usually just means sweet cherries with very dark red skin, such as Bing and Black Pearl,” explained Roman Rosales.

Roman is a sales associate with The Flavor Tree Fruit Company, which sells cherries and other fruits grown by farmers in California’s San Joaquin Valley to The FruitGuys for our office fruit deliveries. He explained that “black cherries” is basically a marketing term, and not all fruit sellers use it. Flavor Tree, for example, markets all of its cherries as “red cherries”—even though some, like the Black Pearl, have nearly black skin.

Why Are Some Cherries Red and Others Almost Black?

Two main factors influence the depth of a cherry’s color: how long it hangs on the tree and its genetics.

Time on the Tree

As a general rule, cherries darken as they ripen from deep red to almost black.

“You can take any cherry, like Chelans, and either pick them as a rosy red cherry or let them sit on the tree for a couple more weeks, and they’ll get that black maturity color,” explained Stacy Anderson, a sales representative at Dave Wilson Nursery in Hickman, California. Dave Wilson Nursery sells twenty-six different types of cherry trees on its website, so Stacy knows her stuff.

“Commercially, however, we tend not to leave them on the tree that long because they tend to go a little softer. We’re picking them at a rosy red or deep red color, depending on the variety,” she said.

Genetics

Varieties that are marketed as black cherries, like the Black Republican or Black Pearl, darken to black before they’re ripe for picking. That means they don’t have the softening issue that Stacy mentioned. In fact, Roman said, these black cherries tend to be firmer than red varieties.

It’s worth noting that both black and red cherries get their red color from anthocyanins and carotenoids, phytochemicals that are good for your eyes, heart, digestion, and more.

Grocery Store ‘Black Cherries’ vs. Wild Black Cherries

The black cherries you’ll see in the grocery store aren’t the same as the ones you might find on the hiking trail. In the cherry world, context matters!

Cultivated Sweet Cherries (Best for Eating Fresh)

As Roman and Stacy explained, farmers and fruit sellers usually use the term “black cherry” to refer to cultivated sweet cherries native to Europe and Asia (Prunus avium) that happen to have a near-black color and make for good snacks. However, botanists and woodworkers use the term “black cherry” differently!

Wild Black Cherries (Best for Wood)

In botanist and woodworking circles, “black cherry” usually refers to a type of wild cherry tree that’s native to North America (Prunus serotina, aka Black cherry or Wild Rum cherry). These trees produce wonderful wood for furniture makers and small, bittersweet cherries that are better for drinks and jellies than for snacking.

So, Black Cherries vs. Red Cherries—Which Should You Choose?

If we’re talking grocery store cherries, you can’t go wrong with either black or red! Both are juicy, sweet, and delicious for eating fresh as a snack, slicing onto oatmeal or yogurt, or baking into pies. Black cherries have a reputation for being sweeter and riper than red cherries, but that’s not always the case—it depends on the variety.

As Stacy put it, “You just want a good, high-Brix [high-sugar] cherry. It doesn’t matter the color, as long as it eats well, right?”

Where to Buy Black and Red Cherries

To find out which cherry color you like best and settle the black vs. red cherry debate for good, try as many varieties as you can. You can find both black and red cherries in The FruitGuys’ office fruit boxes when they’re in season during late spring and early summer.

Black vs. Red Cherry FAQs

1. Are black cherries sweeter than red cherries?

Sometimes, but not always! Different varieties have different flavor profiles.

2. Are darker cherries healthier than lighter ones?

Not necessarily! All cherries are good for you, and each color has its own health benefits.

3. Are red cherries less ripe than black cherries?

It’s true that cherries tend to darken as they ripen, but they change color on different timelines. That means that, depending on the variety, a red cherry can be just as perfectly ripe as a black one.