Orchard Talk

New to drinking cherry juice? Here is a brief introduction to mixing and enjoying delicious 100% Montmorency tart cherry juice.

Getting Started:
Cherry juice concentrate should be refrigerated upon arrival. You can store it for 6 months in the refrigerator or 12 months in the freezer. King Orchards cherry juice concentrate is concentrated to 68 brix; It won’t freeze solid or expand in the freezer.

Mixing cherry juice:
For a single glass of cherry juice, we recommend a mix of 7 parts water to 1 part concentrate. That’s 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of concentrate for an 8 ounce glass of juice.

Another easy recipe is to mix 1/2 cup of cherry juice concentrate with 3 1/2 cups of water. This makes 1 quart of juice. We suggest making no more than a quart in advance, to minimize the possibility of spoilage.

Get Creative!
King Orchards tart cherry juice concentrate is 100% Montmorency cherries. That means it’s pure fruit, so feel free to experiment! Try mixing with club soda, orange or apple juice. A bit of tart cherry juice adds a nice flavor twist to summer lemonade, and is also a great cocktail mixer. We have many customers who add cherry juice concentrate to their yogurt and oatmeal, too.  It’s a sweet and sour delight over ice cream. Tart cherry juice concentrate gives everything a boost of natural cherry pie flavor.

Do you have a great cherry juice recipe?
If you have your own tart cherry juice recipes or serving suggestions, we’d love to hear and share them. Jot us a note in the comment section, or give us a call toll-free at 877-937-5464.

Cheers! and as always, thank you for supporting Michigan cherry growers!

Tags: cherry juice, mixing cherry juice, tart cherry juice

Tart cherry juice was recently featured on the popular Dr. Oz Show. You can see a video of the show here:

Amazing Antioxidants: Tart Cherry Juice

In the feature, Dr. Oz talked about some of the exciting research being done on Montmorency tart cherries, particularly in the areas of heart health, muscle recovery and natural melatonin. It was really a great segment, with good information as to why tart cherry juice has been making so much news lately.

If you’ve decided to go ahead and try tart cherry juice, you’ll want to be  sure you’re getting 100% tart cherry juice and that it’s made from Montmorency tart cherries. Montmorency tart cherries (also called “sour cherries” or “pie cherries”) are the cherries on which the health research is being conducted.

Also, consider tart cherry juice concentrate. King Orchards tart cherry juice concentrate is very affordable. One 32 oz bottle has 32 servings, or a one month’s supply, so it works out to well under $1 per day.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our tart cherries or tart cherry juice concentrate. We are real family growers, and we know our cherries!

Cheers to Cherries!

Tags: dr. oz, tart cherry juice, Tart Cherry News

Tart cherry juice has been making news headlines lately, as more studies are finding that cherry juice can help speed post-exercise recovery.  Last month,  Dave and I hit the road and headed south to represent King Orchards at the ING Georgia Marathon Health & Fitness Expo. This was an excellent opportunity for us to talk about tart cherries, and to introduce people to the great taste and wonderful nutritional qualities of King Orchards tart cherry juice concentrate.

The Health and Fitness Expo was held at the Georgia Dome the two days prior to the marathon. Race participants had to come through and pick up their numbers and race packets. It was free and open to the public, so there was a steady stream of runners, supporters, families, and members of the general public coming and going throughout the two-day event.

We had chilled cherry juice, and plenty of dried cherry samples for everyone to try. We also had several quarts of King Orchards Cherry Juice Concentrate, as well as 1 pound bags of dried tart cherries, and Red Recovery combo packs available for purchase.

We talked to thousands of people about Montmorency tart cherries and their unique nutrient profile. I think the best part was being able to share samples of our products and get so much great feedback.  Several people proclaimed, “These are the best dried cherries I’ve ever had!”

One of the nice things about being in the company of athletes and the fitness-interested is that everyone was happy to know there are no additives, no colorings, and no added sugars or sweeteners in our tart cherry juice.

Sometime it would be fun to do candid pictures or video of people’s reactions to their first taste of tart cherry juice.  Many are surprised to find the cherry juice is tart but not bitter, and describe it as sweeter and more refreshing than they imagine. We also see plenty of puckers, raised eyebrows, and exclamations of “Whoo! That’s tart!”

Our “Good for You” poster, designed by Kalmar Designs.  Doesn’t she look naturally fit & healthy as a result of regular exercise and a healthy diet which includes plenty of tart cherry juice and dried cherries?

Dave, my helper and honorary Cherry Ambassador, assisted folks with the cherry juice dispenser.  Dave was indispensable during this whole trip, providing the muscle to my madness. That was hard work, loading,  unloading and carting around cases of cherry juice, dried cherries, equipment and supplies.  Good thing he drank plenty of tart cherry juice!

Come to think of it, we both drank a lot of cherry juice over the course of  the weekend, and despite working and being on our feet for 12 hour stretches, we felt remarkably good and not too sore to go out exploring a little bit of Atlanta in the evenings.  That’s food for another blog, but I will say this: If  loving hot donuts and The Varsity chili dogs and onion rings is wrong, I simply can’t be right all the time.

We were so busy both days that we didn’t get to explore all the other vendors’ booths, but we did meet some great folks in our vicinity. We were across from All3Sports (we are seriously thinking about springing for the compression socks they sell for hiking and camping), next to the Children’s Tumor Foundation (Dedicated to improving the health and well being of individuals and families affected by the neurofibromatosis), and down the lane from The Arthritis Foundation Joints in Motion Team (they train folks to run and walk marathons, and raise funds and awareness on behalf of the Arthritis Foundation to fight arthritis), Women’s Running Magazine, and Sweaty Bands (who says you can’t be stylish as you sweat?).  Everyone was incredibly friendly and enthusiastic about their work and how it promotes well-being, health and fitness.

Kudos to all the marathon participants, and thanks to all who stopped by our booth. We had a great time meeting everyone, and were thrilled to see so many people with roots and family in Michigan.  A special thank you to Marie Spano, MS, RD/LD, FISSN, CSCS, who was kind enough to mention King Orchards tart cherry juice during her presentation at the Runners Lounge.

Cheers!
Patty

Tags: dried cherries, marathons, muscle recovery, Our Websites, tart cherry juice

This afternoon, while enjoying a coffee break & Rose’s cherry cheesecake, we took an informal survey here at King Orchards.

“If there was one thing you’d like everyone to know about King Orchards tart cherry juice concentrate, what would it be?”

Here is what we learned from each other, and what we’d like you to know:

Jim:  “It takes approximately 20 to 25 pounds of tart cherries to make one quart of King Orchards tart cherry juice concentrate.”

John:  “Tart cherry juice concentrate is the least expensive and most efficient way to get tart cherries.”

Betsy:  “To establish a routine of drinking tart cherry juice, think about your personality. Do you like to have a glass of orange or apple juice in the morning or the afternoon? Consider adding a tablespoon or two of cherry juice concentrate to your daily glass of juice. Are you a smoothie drinker? Cherry juice is an easy and nutritious addition to any smoothie recipe. Like a cool, sweet drink? Try adding a bit of cherry juice concentrate to store-bought or homemade lemonade.”

Patty:  “Sometimes I get so enthusiastic about promoting tart cherry juice concentrate as a healthy drink, I forget to tell people how delicious it is! It is bright and refreshing simply mixed with water and poured over ice. Tart cherry juice concentrate also makes an excellent mixer. A little KO tart cherry juice concentrate, some water, soda water or sparkling wine, a little vodka (or not), and a squeeze of lime, and Voila! You have a tasty, smooth and semi-sophisticated beverage.”

Jésus Sr and Maria:  The cherry juice concentrate is so good, they’ll be taking some with them on their vacation to Guatemala this month, to share with friends and family. Not in their carry-on luggage, of course.

Jésus Jr:  We can ship 3 quarts of cherry juice concentrate (a 3 months’ supply) anywhere in the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and APO addresses for only $52.47!

Daisy:  She loves Hip Bones, but we have heard from many people who bake tart cherry juice into homemade dog biscuits (Dogs can use tart cherries to maintain healthy joints too.)

Mike King: There must be something to this tart cherry juice muscle recovery stuff, because his ski coaches keep telling him he should be drinking it while training for races.

Rose: “I’ve had customers tell me all kinds of cool ways to use tart cherry juice concentrate. Drizzle it over oatmeal to make your healthy breakfast taste a lot like cherry pie. Mix it into vanilla yogurt for a classic, soothing flavor combo.”

Is there something you would like to know about tart cherry juice, or do you have a recipe or helpful hint you’d like to share?  We would love your feedback. Feel free to comment here at Orchard Talk, or contact us toll-free at 1-877-937-5464.

Tags: cherry recipes, Powered by Red, tart cherry juice

We recommend a mixture of 1 part King Orchards tart cherry juice concentrate to 7 parts water. One easy recipe is to mix 1/2 cup concentrate with 3 1/2 cups of water to make one quart of juice.  (hint: an empty KO juice bottle works great for this.)

Many of our customers are on a routine of drinking 8 ounces of mixed juice per day. Two tablespoons of concentrate in an 8 ounce juice glass is the right mixture.

One of the nice things about choosing King Orchards Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate is that it is 100% cherries, so you can be creative with how strong you mix it as well as with what you choose as a mixer. Try mixing with club soda, orange juice or apple juice. You can also add it to oatmeal or yogurt or even drink it straight by the tablespoon.

Tags: cherry juice, michigan tart cherries, montmorency, tart cherry juice, tart cherry recipes

In the 9/29/09 issue of Parade Magazine, Michael O’Shea asks, “Could tart cherry juice be the next big sports drink?”  He cited a recent study at Oregon Health & Science University that tested the effect of tart cherry juice on muscle recovery of long distance relay runners. Runners who drank the tart cherry juice reported faster recovery at the end of the race than those who drank the alternative placebo.

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

Tags: cherry juice concentrate, cherry juice exercise, marathon tart cherries, muscle recovery, tart cherry juice

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

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

We just received results from our recently-conducted nutritional analysis of King Orchards Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate. Independent lab evaluations revealed that our tart cherry juice concentrate provides over 7000 ORAC units and 330 mg of Anthocyanins per one-ounce serving.

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!

Tags: cherry juice, cherry juice concentrate, tart cherry juice, Tart Cherry News