Orchard Talk

After the warm 80 degree days of mid March, an emergency call was made to bring the bees up from their Florida winter residence early. They arrived at 7:30PM on March 28th, a cold 33 degree evening. John and the crew unloaded the bees without one sting! Very happy about that, however it has taken nearly a week for them to make any kind of movement due to the cold weather that followed their arrival. I guess we can’t blame them though… anyone would experience some shock after leaving warm Florida to cold Michigan. Hoping for the warmer days to continue and the bee movement to increase!

Tags: bees, Cherries, cold, florida, harvest, hot, king, michigan, orchards, pollenation, weather

Take the Cherry Challenge (page 60 of the September 2009 issue of Prevention magazine or see our 8/25 blog post) then scroll down to check your answers.

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.

Tags: antioxidants, Cherries, cherry juice, cherry juice concentrate, healthy joints, heart healthy, michigan, michigan tart cherries, montmorency, muscle recovery, tart cherry juice

1 tablespoon dried tart cherries

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

3 tablespoons fruit-flavored vinegar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon honey

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop cherries, onion and garlic in food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add fruit-flavored vinegar, orange juice and honey; puree. With food processor on, slowly add olive oil; mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tags: Cherries, cherry recipes, dried cherries, michigan, michigan cherries, tart cherries, tart cherry recipes

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cans (16 ounces each) tart cherries
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 to 5 drops red food coloring, optional
Favorite pastry for two-crust pie

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Filling: In a 3-quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Drain the liquid from the canned cherries into the saucepan; set cherries aside. Stir the cherry liquid into the sugar mixture until no lumps remain. Heat the mixture to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently; continue cooking 1 minute or until mixture is thickened and slightly translucent. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved tart cherries, dried cherries, almond extract and, if desired, food coloring.

Roll out bottom pastry between 2 sheets of lightly floured waxed paper. Place the pastry in the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan, letting the excess extend over the edge. Spoon in the cherry filling. Roll out top pastry and place over filling. Flute or crimp edges. Cut several slits in top crust to vent pie. Or, you can make a lattice top crust, whichever suits your family. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar onto the pastry strips. Place pie on the top rack in oven and place a baking sheet or piece of foil on lower rack to catch any drips.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and the filling bubbles. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.
Makes 10 servings. From the Cherry Marketing Institute.

Tags: Cherries, cherry recipes, michigan, michigan cherries, michigan tart cherries, Recipes, tart cherry recipes, traverse city

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick margarine
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas
1 cup drained, pitted & cut up sour cherries
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda

Cream sugar & margarine. Add eggs, cherries & bananas. Mix dry ingredients together and add to first mixture. Bake in two 9″ x 4″ greased bread pans at 350° for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Tags: Cherries, cherry recipes, michigan, michigan cherries, michigan tart cherries, Recipes, tart cherry recipes, traverse city

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

½ cup dried tart cherries

3 green onions, sliced

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Lettuce leaves

Chopped fresh parsley

2 to 4 croissants

Combine chicken, cherries and onions in a large bowl; mix well. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and pepper; pour over chicken mixture. Mix gently. Refrigerate, covered, 1 to 2 hours. Spoon chicken salad on sliced croissants; top with lettuce.

Tags: Cherries, dried cherries, michigan, michigan cherries, michigan tart cherries, Recipes, tart cherries, tart cherry juice, traverse city

1 can (16-ounce) pitted dark sweet cherries
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons hot mustard
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup dried tart cherries
6 (6 1/2 ounces each) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper to taste
6 rosemary sprigs for garnish

Heat oven to 350F. Line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with foil and spray foil with non-stick spray; set aside.

To make the glaze: Drain the pitted dark sweet cherries; reserve 1/4 cup of cherry juice. In a blender, puree the drained cherries until smooth.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until soft; add the cherry puree, reserved 1/4 cup cherry juice, honey, vinegar, mustard, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir until smooth. Add dried cherries; simmer 5 minutes.

Arrange chicken breasts in foil-lined baking pan; season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush chicken lightly with cherry glaze; reserve remaining glaze. Cover the pan with foil and bake chicken 20 minutes; brush with additional glaze and bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer or until chicken is done.

To serve, pour 2 tablespoons warm reserved glaze over each chicken breast and garnish with a rosemary sprig. Serves 6.

Tags: Cherries, cherry recipes, dried cherries, michigan, michigan cherries, michigan sweet cherries, michigan tart cherries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, tart cherry recipes, traverse city

2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup dried tart cherries
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons baking powder

Put eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 3 to 4 minutes, or until eggs are thick and lemon colored. Add sugar, oil, lemon juice and water; mix well.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; mix well. Stir in zucchini, cherries and lemon peel.

Grease and flour the bottom only of an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in a preheated 350F.oven 55 to 65 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf, about 16 slices

Source: Cherry Marketing Institute

Tags: bread recipes, Cherries, cherry recipes, dried cherries, michigan, michigan cherries, michigan tart cherries, tart cherries, tart cherry recipes, traverse city, zucchini recipes

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 cups pitted tart cherries
2 tbsp. margarine

Mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir in pitted cherries. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat & add margarine. Stir well. Serve over ice cream, cake or cheese cake. Keep refrigerated.

Tags: Cherries, cherry recipes, michigan, michigan cherries, michigan tart cherries, tart cherries, tart cherry recipes, traverse city

We’ve been getting lots of calls this week about u-picking. For general estimates, our Harvest Calendar offers a month by month guide to what’s in season, from May blossoms through October pumpkins.

We’re still thinking sweet cherries will be ready around the 8th or 10th of July, but you might be able to pick raspberries by the 4th. We’ll keep you posted!

In the meantime, enjoy this travel video Brian Kaufman from the Detroit Free Press shot last summer, which features an interview with John King and cherry lovers & pie makers from Chicago.

Tags: michigan, raspberries, sweet cherries, u-pick cherries