February, National Cherry Month

February, among other things, is national cherry month.

It was the Romans and the Greeks who first cultivated cherries, spreading them throughout Europe. Cherries grow on trees and cultivated varieties come from wild cherries, which grow in Turkey and have spread all over the world.

While Washington State is well known for growing cherries, Michigan is the largest producer of cherries in the U.S.

After Turkey, the U.S. is the second largest producer of cherries. Cherries were brought over with settlers in the 1600s. It became an industry in Michigan in the 1800s. Most of the cherries grown in the U.S. are of the tart variety, because they are less delicate and easier to cultivate than the sweet version.

Cherries have recently been linked to healthy hearts and to weight loss. In a lab rat study, rats fed tart cherry powder along with their meals gained less weight than the group that wasn't fed the powder. It's also been linked to preventing diabetes, can help to lessen arthritis. It seems to be panacea that also helps with jet lag, sleep disorders, and lowers the percentage of belly fat. Cherries are high in antioxidants and vitamin C, beta carotene, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate.

Possibly the most famous and recognizable type of cherry isn't a cherry at all, but rather a type of preparation. Maraschino cherries, which come in jars and top our sundaes originally came from a Marasca cherry from Yugoslavia and parts of Italy. It was preserved by placing it a liqueur and was only served to the crème de la crème. In America towards the end of the 1800s and early 1900s, it could be found in exclusive hotels and restaurants. By 1920s American processors found a way to cheapen the process by eliminating the liqueur and using a local variety of cherries.

The primary variety of tart cherry is Montmorency, one of the first varieties to be planted in early Michigan orchids. This variety is great for pies, preserves and juice.

The most famous cherry variety is the Bing, a sweet cherry grown mainly in Oregon. In fact, the most well-known sweet varieties were mostly originally cultivated on Lewelling Farms in Oregon.

Local universities have been crucial in the development of different varieties. Michigan State University recently developed the Balaton cherry variety. A light, sweet variety dubbed the Rainier cherry came from the cross breeding of the Bing and Van varieties by Dr. Harold W. Fogle at the Washington State University Research Station in Prosser, Washington.

Cherries vary in prep and type and can be found in recipes from savory to sweet. I use cherry juice as part of a marinade for lamb, I use the dried variety in salads and the fresh variety in creamy desserts. Do an internet search and you'll find it's not hard to slip a little cherry into your diet.

The National Cherry Festival is held each year in the Traverse City, Michigan, where they make the world's largest cherry pie.

Sources:

http://www.cherrymkt.org/health/main.aspx

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artcherrieshistory.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry

http://www.cherrymkt.org