The “Party Pleaser” (featuring chocolate covered dried cherries and our new Nuts about Cherries trail mix),  the “To Your Health” gift package (cherry juice, cherry capsules, and no-sugar dried cherries) and the “Cherry Lovers Gift Box” (with a little bit of everything cherry) are all excellent choices.  Also fantastic are our tart cherry preserves, cherry salsa, cherry butter, tart cherry pepper jelly (pour it over cream cheese, surround with crackers and voila! Instant appetizer!) and spiced tart cherry jam.

With the flat rate priority mail shipping boxes, “If it fits, it ships.” A medium box holds a nice selection of items and ships for $9.85. The larger box offers even more room and goes anywhere within the U.S. for $13.50.

Apples and cherries and chocolate, Oh my! If we work quickly, we can still get apples delivered for Christmas too, like this nice selection of Honeycrisp apples and King Orchards Montmorency cherry products that Lynn just put together for one of our customers.

Many locations are still deliverable by UPS ground shipping in time for Christmas, too. They will be delivering through Christmas Eve. You can use the map below to determine time in transit, or give us a call  toll-free at 877-937-5464 and see what we can do for you.

Happy Holidays!

If you’re looking for a refreshing, healthful way to speed muscle recovery and a great source of beneficial antioxidants, try King Orchards tart cherry juice concentrate, direct from the Michigan grower.

See our Ad in September 2009 Prevention Magazine

Ingredients:
1/3 cup lemon peel, cut into 1/4″ strips
1 /2 cup orange peel, cut into 1/4″ strips
2 cups apple cider
4 cups tart cherry juice (1/2 cup King Orchards tart cherry juice concentrate plus 3 1/2 cups water)
2 (1/4″ thick) strips of peeled fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon allspice
5 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer uncovered until liquid is reduced to 4 cups, approximately 30 minutes. Remove from heat and strain liquid to remove peels and spices. Discard solids and serve in festive mugs.

Makes 4 one-cup servings.

Nutrition Info:
Nutrition Facts per cup: 175 calories, 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 42 g carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g protein, 1 g fiber, 10 mg sodium; Daily Values: 1% vitamin A, 7% vitamin C; 3% calcium; 8% iron

Answers:

1-C:  Melatonin is a naturally occurring antioxidant in Tart Cherries that helps maintain normal sleep patterns. Tart cherries are one of the few known food sources of melatonin. Dr. Russel Reiter, a leader in melatonin research, gives tart cherries high marks for their melatonin content. “We were surprised at how much melatonin was in cherries, specifically the Montmorency variety,” says Reiter.  “Cherry juice concentrate, which involves greatly reducing the water content, has ten times the melatonin of the raw fruit.”

2-B: Montmorency dried tart cherries were certified heart healthy by the American Heart Association.

“Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans today, so it’s important we continue researching ways people can improve their diet to help reduce key risk factors,” said Dr. Steven F. Bolling, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center who also heads the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory. “We know excess body fat increases the risk for heart disease. This research gives us one more support point suggesting that diet changes, such as including cherries, could potentially lower heart disease risk.”

3-B:  Yes. Research indicates tart cherries have substantial amounts of potent antioxidants including melatonin and anthocyanins. These and other compounds found in tart cherries are believed to maintain healthy joints and a healthy cardiovascular system, among other benefits.

4-C:  Tart cherry juice after a workout is the way many athletes speed muscle recovery.

5-C:  ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (measuring the antioxidant capacity of foods). We sent King Orchards Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate to Brunswick Labs in Massachusetts for antioxidant testing. Their lab results reflected 7,077 ORAC units per one ounce of cherry juice concentrate.

So, how’d you do? We’d like to know.

Antioxidant strength is measured in Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) units. ORAC measures how many oxygen radicals a specific food can absorb and deactivate. The more oxygen radicals a food absorbs, the higher its ORAC score.

Anthocyanins are what provide cherries their distinctive red color and may hold the key to the health benefits locked inside. These rich, red pigments that give cherries their color are a type of phytonutrient known as flavonoids, which have been linked to a variety of health benefits.

Already, nutritionists and sports enthusiasts have recognized the powerful antioxidant profile of Montmorency cherries, and are incorporating them into their fitness regimens. The British Cycling Team, for example, credits cherry juice as one of the secrets to their phenomenal success – 15 Gold Medals! – in the Beijing Olympics. They drink Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate from CherryActive in the UK.

According to a recent article in the Scotsman:

GB Secrets Can Lead to Success in Velodrome… From new equipment to diet – the consumption of vast quantities of cherry juice being one example – they are at the cutting edge of innovation.

And from The Independent:

The Ride of Their Lives: Britannia Rules the Wheels: Lottery millions, laser scans, the latest in sports psychology, and a daily dose of Montmorency cherries… “Nutritionists advise the riders on diet. The British team consume large quantities of fish oils and juice from Montmorency cherries. As antioxidants, they help the muscles to recover more quickly after strenuous exercise.”

We can’t promise Olympic gold, but we’ll do our best to keep providing delicious and nutritious 100% tart cherry juice concentrate as efficiently and affordably as we can. Cheers!