National Cherry Day is on July 16, which is the perfect day to celebrate in the summer. Cherries can be sweet or sour, and their colors range from red to yellow. You can use them to make a wide range of meals, desserts, and drinks. George Washington is said to have cut down that cherry tree, but we can't blame him. The U.S. cherry industry makes more than 650 million pounds of tart and sweet cherries every year.
Cherries have been eaten for hundreds of years. The little red fruits have been eaten by millions of people all over the world, from the Roman Empire to the Chinese dynasties. In the 1600s, they came to America on ships with the first settlers.
Peter Dougherty planted the first cherry trees in the United States in 1852 on the Old Mission Peninsula in the state of Michigan. This was the start of modern cherry production in the United States. The Midwest turned out to have a great climate for growing cherries, and soon a lot of them were being picked. In 1893, the first commercial tart cherry orchards were planted in Michigan. Soon, cherry production surpassed that of other major crops, and the first cherry processing plant, Traverse City Canning Company, was built. Soon after, the ruby-red fruit was shipped to cities in the Midwest that were close by. Soon after, a plan was made to reach out to the whole country.
Cherries became popular in the U.S. because of the maraschino cherry, which is made from sweet cherries. Traders from the Balkan Peninsula and northern Italy added liqueur to a local cherry called the Marasca to make this popular dessert cherry. In the 1890s, the cherry product that came out of this was sent to the United States.
In 1896, U.S. cherry processors started trying out a native sweet cherry for maraschino cherries. They used less liqueur and added almond oil to the process. In the end, there was no more liqueur at all. By 1920, the American version of the maraschino cherry was so popular that it had replaced the non-native version in the United States.
There are U-Pick cherry farms in Oregon, California, and Michigan, among other places. Picking fresh cherries is a fun way to spend a day outside.
Add a new twist to a southern favorite to mark this national holiday. Cherries are a great addition to iced tea, which is the best drink for the summer.
Think you have skills? The International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship is held every year in Eau Claire, Michigan, which is known as the Cherry Pit Spitting Capital of the World. The world record for spitting a cherry stone is 93 feet and 6.5 inches. Try to do better!
1. A typical cherry tree has about 7,000 cherries: Cherry trees are so fruitful that they can make enough cherries for up to 28 pies.
2. The two main kinds are: Either cherries are sweet or sour.
3. Michigan is where cherries are grown: About 94% of the cherries eaten in the U.S. come from Michigan.
4. Pits have poisons in them: Cherry pits can make you sick if you chew on them.
5. There are a thousand kinds: There are more than 1,000 different kinds of cherries, both sweet and sour, but only 20% of them are used for business.
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