The Bing cherry is one of the many types of cherries that have been cultivated specifically for its sweet taste. It comes mainly from the northwest United States, in places like Oregon, Washington, and California. Bing cherries do the best in climates that are regularly wet. Within the US, they are some of the most popular and sought after cherries, most commonly harvested fresh in June and July.
So how what is it about Bing cherries anyway? Well, they are sweet all the time (even sweeter than rainier cherries) and are great for jams, preservatives, and pies. When used in pie, however, you should aim for Bing cherries that aren’t as ripe. They’re naturally so sweet that they can sometimes be too much (too much sweetness? — yes, it is possible) when used for pies, which do better with the types of cherries that are more tart. In fact, Bing cherries would likely make a good addition to a smoothie that is too tart or sour.
Speaking of which, Bing cherries are powerful antioxidant fruits. Many people don’t realize this because the cherry is so common in society that we tend to take it for granted. The truth is that the USDA performed studies that determined that these cherries reduce toxins and are actually an inflammatory!
Cherries also contain vitamin C (the good news just keeps coming). They have been looked into for the prevention of arthritis and gout. Interestingly enough, eating Bing cherries has been noted to decrease uric acid in the body by 60%. This lowering of blood levels could be enough to reduce the risk of gout.