Author: courtney

Tips for Selection and Storage of Apples

Rose and Betsy’s top tips for apple buying and storing: Be adventurous! Don’t be afraid to experiment. You have nothing to lose but boredom. Try some new varieties. You may […]

Honeycrisp Apple Praline Cake Recipe

Ingredients: Cake * 3 cup all-purpose flour * 2 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided use * 1 Tbsp. baking powder * 1/2 tsp. salt * 4 large eggs, beaten * […]

Honeycrisp Apples

  What a nice way to start the morning, with a gorgeous Honeycrisp apple sitting on my desk. I feel like Steve Martin in The Jerk, but instead of  shouting, […]

Cherry Butternut Squash Stuffing

Ingredients: 2 to 3 strips of bacon, finely diced 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/3 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup (about 1/3 pound) chopped butternut squash 2/3 cup dried […]

Hot Mulled Cherry and Apple Cider Recipe

Celebrate apple season and those cooler autumn evenings with this robust, red cider made with cherry juice, apple cider, and your favorite spices. Cheers! Ingredients: 1/3 cup lemon peel, cut […]

Dried Cherries and Chocolate

We are very proud of our dried tart cherries at King Orchards, and now we have even more of them to love. We recently added two new products to our […]

Walnut and Dried Cherry Bars

Ingredients 1 cup quick-cooking oats 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole-wheat flour 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup honey 1/3 […]

Take the Cherry Challenge Answers

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 […]

Fruitstand Update :)

Help! We’re being overrun by cucumbers!!! If we can’t get to the phones, it’s because we can’t make it through the mountains of pickling and slicing cukes we’ve harvested from […]

Fruitstand Report :)

Dipping Day: From now through the weekend you will be able to come and scoop out as many tart cherries as you wish from our shaking tanks without having to […]

Sour Cherry Cobbler Recipe

Ingredients Filling: 6 cups tart red cherries, pitted (substitute 3 cans of tart cherries in water for fresh if necessary) 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/4 cup water 4 teaspoons cornstarch […]

Cherry Vinaigrette

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 […]

Double Cherry Pie

Double Cherry Pie with dried cherries and pitted tart cherries from King Orchards

This Double Cherry Pie recipe is a recipe that we get asked about time and time again. It has canned tart cherries in water (which have no additives whatsoever) and […]

Michigan Baked Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned oats 4 cups milk 1/4 tsp almond flavoring 1/2 cup King Orchards dried tart cherries 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sliced almonds 1 large apple, unpeeled, […]

Balaton Tart Cherries

We have a wonderful crop of Balaton tart cherries this year. Balaton cherries are a darker morello-style variety of sour cherry traditionally grown  in Hungary, near the Soviet border. The […]

Sweet Cherries

It’s raining again this morning. When we have sweet cherries to pick rain is a real problem. The high sugar content in the cherry draws water through the skin and […]

? of the day

There is one question everyone is asking. How long will we be able to pick sweet cherries? This year is so odd that I can’t say. My hope is that […]

Tart Cherry Crop Report

Betsy and John were out checking on the tart cherries this morning. They’re still a bit orange-y, so we’re looking at 4 to 5 days before prime picking time. Picking […]

Cherry Banana Bread

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. […]

Fresh Cherry Salad

Ingredients: 1 cup sugar snap peas 2 cups pitted fresh sweet cherries 1 medium cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced 1/2 inch thick 1 cup radishes, sliced 3 tablespoons white wine […]

The turning point

Well today we began picking in earnest and u-pickers are showing up. This is the turning point when we start taking in money on the crops which have been getting […]

Sweet cherry picking starts today

To encourage lots and lots of Michigan cherry picking, we are rolling back our u-pick prices to 2006! We’re calling it our Cherry U-Pick Stimulus Plan (CUSP for those of […]

Happy 4th of July!

We drove the golf cart in the Central Lake parade today! The market has been busy and the pies were piled high this morning. With no cherries ripe there has […]

Market Update

The strawberries are looking great. We should have them through the 4th. It has been a little hard keeping a constant supply of strawberries, but we are trying to keep […]

Strawberries in the markets

Today is the first day for strawberries in the markets. They are beautiful and delicious and totally worth the wait. Prices this year are $4 per quart; 11.00 for 3 […]

Tart Cherry Mojito

      Ingredients: 2 1/2 teaspoons super fine granulated sugar 3 Tablespoons tart cherry juice 12 mint leaves Squeeze of fresh lime juice 1 ounce white rum 1/2 cup […]

Red Alert Iced Tea

For a subtle spice flavor add 1 cinnamon stick to the boiling water along with the tea bags. Discard the cinnamon stick along with the tea bags. Ingredients: 4 cups […]

Cherry Crop Update

There are a lot of cherries on the trees, and all signs point to a good crop of both sweet and tart cherries. Our latest estimate is that sweet cherry […]

Confetti Couscous Salad with Dried Cherries

Ingredients: For couscous: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/4 cup minced yellow onion 1 1/2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth) 5 ounces whole-wheat couscous (about 1 […]

cool spring

June 8th and Still cool here in Northern Michigan! I’ve noticed that my favorite way to cook asparagus is in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes. The added benefit […]

Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce

Ingredients: 2 boneless pork loin chops, about 1-inch thick Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (used ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ cup […]

Cherry Chicken Salad Sandwich

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 […]

George Washington Salad

George Washington Salad from King Orchards

Ingredients: 1 (6-ounce) package cherry-flavored gelatin 1 (20- or 21-ounce) cherry pie filling 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese 1 cup sour cream 1/4 cup granulated […]

Montmorency Cherry Smoothie

Try this Easy & Healthy Cherry Smoothie Recipe Ingredients: 1 cup non-fat plain or vanilla yogurt 1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup King Orchards […]

Tangy Cherry Sauce

Ingredients: 1 can King Orchards cherry pie filling 2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 3/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon grated lime Combine […]

Nuts About Cherries Chicken Salad Recipe

Nuts About Cherries Chicken Salad Recipe Ingredients: 4 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, diced 1 cup King Orchards Nuts About Cherries, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup diced celery 1/3 cup diced […]

Monday AM

Ok,  I was wrong but I bet the apricots pop out today.  This morning is so busy with activities. Workers driving the golf cart to plant trees.  Shouts of directions […]

Sweet Potatoes with Tart Cherry Glaze

Ingredients: 2 medium sweet potatoes (7-8 ounces each) 2 tablespoons King Orchards Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate (undiluted) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon butter or brown sugar, melted 1/2 teaspoon […]

Dried Cherry Celery Salad

Credit: Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke Cherry Celery Salad Ingredients: 1 ½ cups celery, diced 2/3 cup dried tart cherries 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed ¼ cup fresh parsley, […]

Blossoms!

My prediction is that we will have apricot blossoms for the week-end.  Apricots are first to blossom and then sweet cherries, tart cherries, peaches and apples. They all kind of […]

Tart Cherries Elevate Anti-Oxidant Activity

NEW ORLEANS, April 20 (UPI) — Eating one and a half servings of tart cherries could significantly boost antioxidant activity, U.S. researchers said. University of Michigan researchers said 12 healthy […]

Cherry Cool Wings

Ingredients: 1 (4- or 5-pound) package frozen uncooked chicken wing sections 1 (20- or 21-ounce) can cherry pie filling 1/4 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon hot pepper […]

Tart Cherry Vinaigrette

Ingredients: Equal Parts: King Orchards Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate Balsamic Vinegar Extra Virgin Olive Oil Flax Seed Oil Optional: Stir in a little honey to thicken. Pour a puddle on […]

Cherry Lemonade

Ingredients: 6 fluid ounces lemon juice, fresh squeezed 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar 24 fluid ounces water 4 fluid ounces King Orchards Tart Cherry Concentrate Combine the lemon juice and the […]

Cherry-Glazed Baked Chicken

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 […]

Cherry Zucchini Bread

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 […]

February… spring?

Hi Everyone, It has finally slowed down here on the farm and I hate to say it but Jim and John are already talking Spring? Meanwhile our Jésus in the […]

Sour Cherry-Pecan Biscotti

This recipe makes 72 biscotti Ingredients 2 cups King Orchards dried tart cherries 1/4 cup orange juice hot water 2 1/2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder […]

Tart Cherry Sauce

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 […]

Sparkling Red Cherry Punch

Here’s a festive and simple holiday punch recipe, courtesy of the Cherry Marketing Institute. For a festive garnish, add a pitted cherry and a slice of orange on a cocktail […]

U-Picking Open for Apricots

Apricots are in! We have a large, beautiful crop this year, and have opened them up for u-picking at $1.75 per pound. It looks like we have a few days […]

Black Sweet Cherries

The black sweet cherries have been slow to ripen but we are finally there! Sweet cherries are in the markets by the quart. U-pick will open on Wed 7/9 at […]

Cherry Festival

We are loading up the tables for the cherry festival right now. We will be at the open space in Traverse City Fri noon until 10 pm. The hours July […]

Strawberries are here!

Strawberries are finally here! The strawberries look absolutely wonderful and delicious. They taste just as great as they look.  The prices of the strawberries are set at $4 a quart […]

Rain, Rain, Rain!

It’s been raining so much lately! In the past 40 days, we’ve had rain on 24 of them. Hopefully it dries up soon, because the rain can cause the cherries […]

Update on Strawberries and Sweet Cherries

Things are finally warming up here! We’ve had rain the past few days, and the sweet corn is beginning to sprout. We have asparagus in the market for one more […]

New look for the U.S. 31 market

A new face lift for the kitchen down at the 31 market is happening right now. This past week-end people were looking for pies. Because we are in construction the […]

Asparagus is in!

I know that it is really spring because the asparagus is in. Beautiful and tender. We had it grilled, steamed, and sauteed with soy sauce. The big change everyone will […]

May 1 activities

Today Jim is planting the new raspberry block at the Creswell market. There won’t be  many berries this year in the new block but next year we will be in […]

Blossoms and spring frost.

Monday night and Tuesday night the temps were forecast in the high 20s. Apricot bloom is open and sweet cherry is very close to opening. The developing buds of tart […]

Making Tart Cherry Jelly

We are often asked about whether you can make tart cherry jelly of your own using our Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate. Norma I. was kind enough to email Betsy […]

Cherry Almond Biscotti

1 stick unsalted butter 1 cup sugar zest of one lemon 2 eggs 2 cups flour pinch of salt 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 cup sliced almonds 1 cup […]

Seed Purchase

I spent all day yesterday lining up the seed purchases for 2008. I am waaaay late getting this done. I spoke with the seed companies that I deal with at […]

Made in Michigan

Michigan tourism is focusing on things “made in Michigan”.  What a great idea for Michigan Farmers.  Although a trip to the orchard to pick cherries isn’t the high light of […]

Choose Cherries and AllRecipes.Com

The Cherry Marketing Institute is sponsoring some fantastic cherry recipes at allrecipes.com right now. Super Fruit (Cherry) Lime Muffins, Berry Good Oatmeal, Mango Cherry Avocado Salad, and Chewy Cherry Whole […]

Frozen Cherries

The market has lots of frozen cherries available. Montmorency and Balaton cherries are in 10lb bags. I have small tubs of montmorecy cherries enough for just one pie. Remember my […]

There IS a difference in Dried Cherries!

I had to make a really quick Trail Mix for Scouts with M&M’s, Mixed Nuts, Pretzel sticks, Goldfish and Dried Cherries! Yummy! So quick I love to make it for […]

The Extraordinary History Of Cherries

In Celebration of National Cherry Month, here are some interesting historical facts about Tart Cherries. Cherries have pleased the palates of food lovers for centuries. Their ruby-red color and tangy […]

Discussion on dried cherries

Yesterday was our high school regional ski meet.  The parents put on a big spread for the kids for lunch.  I was talking to a mom who brought a broccoli […]

Chocolate Cherry Meringues

Another tasty cherry dessert idea while doing my daily web search for all things cherry. This recipe comes from Ann Lovejoy at SeattlePi.com. Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

New Trees

Today I talked with Adam from Hilltop trees in Lawton, Mi about our tree order for 2008. I want to get several rows of McIntosh planted this spring…

Apples are almost gone

February 29 is the last day to get apples. We have Ida red and Empire apples. The markets are open Mon-Fri 9-4. Applesauce is still easy and Ida reds or […]

Oatmeal Dried Cherry Chocolate Cookies

This cookie starts with a basic Oatmeal cookie recipe (I use the one from Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats). I’ve been making them with farm fresh eggs and real butter. They never […]

Pound Cake with Maraschino Cherries

Here is a recipe for pound cake with Maraschino cherries. Maraschino cherries actually start as a light sweet cherry which we grow on the farm. These cherries are mechanically harvested […]

Stormy weather on the farm!

Well, today it is nasty weather here on the farm. No school for the local schools so the kids are having a ball! They’re doing flips behind the snowmobile! No […]

National Eat Red Week February 4 – 10

Did you know? Montmorency dried tart cherries are certified heart-healthy by the American Heart Association. To help raise funds in support of the American Heart Association’s mission, for every person […]

Welcome to our Orchard Blog!

Our plan for our blog is to have ongoing discussions on a variety of topics: What’s happening on the farm and in the markets this week. What does a real […]