Anne BralyCherries have always been, and always will be, my favorite fruit. When I was a child, my mother would always make a cherry pie for my birthday. I didn’t want a frilly white cake covered with sugary pink frosting like my friends had. No, I wanted a homemade cherry pie, and mom always came through. Even now, my daughters carry on that tradition, honoring that memory with a cherry pie rather than cake.
Recently, I had the opportunity to go to Michigan and visit the original location of the Cherry Republic, the world’s largest exclusive retailer of cherry products. There were tastings of every kind of cherry product conceivable – salsa, barbecue sauce, wine, beer, candy, juice. You name it, they make it.
Michigan is the cherry capital of the world, and right now the harvest is in full swing. If you ever find yourself in the Traverse City, Michigan, area, it’s about a 30-minute drive outside town, with beautiful stopping points along the way, like Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Need I say that cherry season is my favorite time of year? Right now, we’re in the thick of it. Walk into any store and there they are – piles upon piles of fresh beautiful red cherries, as well as those sweet, wonderful Rainier cherries that have the slightest blush of yellow and red. It’s hard to resist popping one in your mouth when no one is looking.
The only bad thing about fresh cherries? Getting out those darn pits! It’s a pain, as any cherry lover knows. But thanks to modern inventions such as the Chef’n cherry pitter – you’ll find the handy tool all over the internet for around $10 – it’s much easier these days, as easy as cherry pie. It works like a gun. Fit the cherry in the place where the ammo would go, then pull the trigger. The pit pops right out, and you’re left with a beautiful whole cherry. I fill jars with pitted cherries and keep them in the refrigerator to add to my granola for breakfasts or for a quick, healthful afternoon snack.