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  CHERRIES
  Cherries are brightly colored jewels full of antioxidants that help fight cancer, heart disease and inflammation.  The anti-inflammatory properties have shown particularly helpful for people who suffer from gout.  Melatonin is found in tart cherries; this can make you sleep better at night and be more wakeful in the daytime.  Cherries contain compounds that can even relieve headaches.  20 cherries are 10 times stronger than aspirin.  So take 20 the next time you have a headache! 

They are neatly packaged into colorful and enticing bite size snacks and they travel well!  When summer rolls around, enjoy fresh cherries!  There are lots of ways to get cherries into your diet:  drink Cherry Juice, add the juice to smoothies, yogurt, pancake or cake batter; snack on fresh cherries, dip them into chocolate, use them as garnish, add them to baked goods or make a savory meal with them, add them to your salad or sauté them for dessert; use dried cherries in baked goods or cook with them.

Cherry Juice may help prevent tooth decay!

According to Real Age, "Fresh cherry season may be a sweet time for people with arthritis.

Recent studies by USDA researchers revealed that fresh Bing cherries may contain anti-inflammatory properties that could potentially help ease osteoarthritis pain. In the study, people who had eaten cherries for breakfast had lower blood levels of C-reactive protein and nitric oxide, both of which are markers of inflammatory disease.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that includes 4 servings of fruit per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger"

Cherries are only available for three months during the summer (end of May to early August) so get them while they're in season!
 

 		 
  SWEET CHERRIES  

  • Bing Cherries are the most common cherries on the market.  They are big, firm and round with a deep inviting mahogany red to almost black color and a sweet rich flavor.  The color is rich inside too.  These will last about a week in your refrigerator, if you can control yourself that long.
     
  • Brooks Cherries are the first to become ripe and ready for us to enjoy just before summer so these are the first delectable jewels to become available to us.  Bigger than some other varieties, sweet, firm, juicy and rich.  These are sweeter and larger than some others.
  
  • Chelan Cherries are sweet, firm, round crisp, juicy, and delicious!  Another common cherry, these are a little lighter red color than Bing and not quite as sweet.  These are available earlier in the season, before the Bing.
  
  • Lapin Cherries are red-mahogany, sweet Bing-like cherries but they aren't as sweet as the Bing.  They are notably different from all other cherries because of their size; they are a large cherry.  They have a short season, only about a one week, so they are hard to find but worth the search and the wait.  Great for a snack or dessert. 
 
  • Lambert Cherries are the 2nd most common cherry.  They are more heart shaped than round, they are smaller than Bings but they taste like a Bing.
  
  • Rainier Cherries are yellow with a pink or red blush.  They are a soft yellow color inside and are sweet but not as sweet as the red varieties.  These are considered by many to be THE best cherry!  They cost more than Bings.  These are more delicate and therefore should be eaten quickly.  A cross between a Bing and a Van Cherry.
  
 
  • Tulare Cherries are very close 2nd in ones available to us.  Not as sweet as the Brooks and with a pink blush.
  
  SOUR CHERRIES  

 
  • Sour Cherries or "pie cherries" are usually Montmorency cherries.  They are tart and even better for us nutritionally!  Most sour cherries are canned and sold for pie fillings.  They are also used for juices and juice concentrate.  They are smaller and have a bright red color when fresh.  Balaton is a newer tart cherry.
  
 

Facts:

  

 		 Nutritionally: Low in calories and is high in antioxidants, anthocyanin (like blueberries), Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, B Complex and minerals as well as being a good source of Potassium and Boron.  Boron works with calcium and magnesium for stronger bones.  They contain pectin, which is a soluble fiber that helps control blood cholesterol levels.  Sour Cherries have more Vitamin C (but much of that is lost when cooked).  They also contain the antioxidants quercetin, a flavanoid with anti-inflammatory, antihistaminic, and anticancer fighting power.  
  How to choose: Firm and rich color with no blemishes.  They should always be refrigerated.  Choose ones that are a good size with rich color and a glossy exterior.  If they have the stem attached, it's a better choice because you can tell if it's old (brown stem) or fresh.  They should be sweet, firm and delicious!  
  How to store: Cherries are quite temperature sensitive so get them into the refrigerator as quickly as possible.  Store them unwashed loosely (and preferably in a single layer to prevent bruising) so the air can circulate around them in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable compartment of the fridge. Cherries are perishable and you should plan to use them soon after purchase. You can freeze cherries for a year!  
  Fun Fact:
  • George Washington did admit to chopping down the cherry tree.  Cherry trees normally have 7000 cherries, enough to make 28 pies!
  • The Bing Cherry was named after one of the Chinese workmen on a farm in Oregon in the 1800s.
  • The Cherry Festival
  
  Cooking Tip:  After pitting (use a cherry pitter to make your life easier) cook them briefly so they retain their shape and texture.  Cooking enhances the flavor.  You can poach them in wine, cinnamon, and water and serve it on top of vanilla ice cream!  Or sauté them with butter and sugar and top pancakes, use as a crepe filling, or eat with yogurt or ice cream.

Great for jam because of all their natural pectin!

  

 

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