Michigan Sour Cherries

I grew up in Michigan, and every year my mother would order a 20 lb tin of Michigan Sour Cherries to freeze and use throughout the year in her pies and cobblers. Little did I know that not everyone in the world had access to these amazingly tart, ruby red delights. Only when I moved away from Michigan and tasted what passed for cherry pie in other parts of the country did I realize how good I had it. Lucky for the rest of the country, it is now possible to have Michigan Sour Cherries shipped directly to your doorstep. One taste, and you'll understand what all the fuss is about.

There are two types or cultivars of sour cherry, amarelle and morello. Michigan Sour Cherries are primarily Montmorency cherries, which are part of the amarelle cultivar. They are lighter and brighter in color than other cherries - brighter even than the color of strawberries. They can be tricky to grow and are much more fragile than sweet cherries, which is why they're difficult to find outside of Michigan. In fact, you almost never see them fresh, even in Michigan - they're almost always canned or frozen. Traverse City, MI, which is located in the northwest part of the state, is home to the annual National Cherry Festival, which draws visitors from all over the world. Attendees can sample all sorts of cherry-based food and drink, and participate in cherry pit spitting and pie eating contests.

As for the taste of Michigan Sour Cherries, there's nothing else quite like it! When I was younger, I would eat them fresh from my grandmother's tree, but most people find them too sour for eating out of hand. They are typically canned or frozen, then used in pies and other baked goods. Dried sour cherries are also becoming quite popular as a substitute for raisins or dried cranberries. Cooked with just a little sugar, canned or frozen sour cherries make the world's best ice cream topping. Desserts and baked goods are obvious uses for Michigan Sour Cherries, but here's a more creative use for them: Sour Cherry-Port Vinaigrette.

1 c. dried sour cherries (unsweetened)
1/2 c. Port (Tawny or Ruby)
1/4 c. red wine vinegar (or other vinegar, Sherry vinegar would work well here)
1 t. sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 c. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 t. Dijon mustard (optional)

Place cherries and port in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes. In the meantime, whisk sugar with vinegar until dissolved, then add shallot and garlic. Strain the cherries, reserving the liquid, and press them lightly to extract their flavors. Add the cherry cooking liquid to the vinegar mixture. Whisk in oil and Dijon mustard, if using (the addition of mustard will create a more emulsified dressing). Scatter the cherries over any salad and dress liberally with vinaigrette.

This dressing can be used on any type of salad, but I think the flavors pair best with savory ingredients like goat cheese, blue cheese, walnuts, bacon, spinach, endive or other bitter greens. Order some Michigan Sour Cherries today - you won't be sorry!