From Our Trees to Your Table: The Five Best Ways to Enjoy Northwest Sweet Cherries

YAKIMA, Wash., July 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- It's summer, so that means the large sweet cherries from the Northwest states of Washington and Oregon along with Montana, Utah and Idaho are filling the shelves and bowls around the country. Collectively, they produce more than 80 percent of the nation's sweet cherries.

"The only thing that remains the same from one cherry season to the next is that we only get one brief shot at it," said James Michael with the Northwest Cherry Growers, a grower-led organization representing more than 2,100 cherry growers across the northwest. "We came into bloom quite a bit late after the spring snows, but thankfully the weather was so clear and sunny following that we made up for lost time and were able to start picking only a few days later than normal."

As a group, their organization to support growers began more than 75 years ago. Along the way they've collected a wealth of knowledge on the best tried-and-true ways to enjoy cherries when they are available for the season. Here are their favorites:

1. Wherever you go, cherries can go too! As an easy portable fruit, bring them along on hikes, picnics, barbecues and road trips, or just to the office as a great go-to healthy snack when hunger strikes. Full of fiber but low on the glycemic index, sweet cherries are a great way to curb cravings while on the go.
2. What would the Fourth of July be without cherry pie? The upcoming holiday is one of the best times to enjoy this iconic American dessert. To enjoy it without all of the added sugars, try their recipe for a Northwest sweet cherry pie here. Due to the special growing conditions in the region, Northwest-grown sweet cherries, on average, boast the highest fruit sugar content of any cherries. The naturally high sugar content results from extended hang time on the tree, the only place a fruit accumulates sugar. This makes Northwest-grown cherries ideal for baking as cooks can cut down on added sugar given the cherries are already naturally sweet. 
3. Beat the summer heat by freezing pitted cherries and enjoying them straight out of the freezer on a nice summer day or using them in a variety of refreshing recipes. From blending to whip up a frozen margarita or smoothie, freezing with cherry juice in a popsicle mold for a cooling treat or adding to a summer sangria, the options are endless. Get recipe ideas here.
4. Fruit aficionados also are encouraged to stock up now for the off season, as frozen unpitted cherries keep well for use year-round. Simply rinse and freeze on a flat tray, then store in food-safe bags, and stash in the freezer for smoothies, toppings, desserts, cocktails and more. Watch the step-by-step video here.
5. As summer's freshest superfruit, sweet cherries pack powerful health benefits. Not only are they a proven source of vitamin C and potassium, they contain melatonin to improve sleep quality and antioxidants for fighting chronic inflammation that can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. Learn more here.

As growers and cherry lovers everywhere attest, one of the best and easiest ways to get their benefits is to simply eat them fresh out of hand as a snack. But stock up now as the Northwest harvest will wrap up in August.

For more information on sweet Northwest cherries—recipes, canning ideas, health tips and more—follow the Northwest Cherry Growers on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

About Northwest Cherries and Washington State Fruit Commission
Founded in 1947, the Northwest Cherry Growers is a grower's organization funded solely by self-imposed fruit assessments used to increase awareness and consumption of regionally-grown stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development, and research of stone fruits from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana orchards.

SOURCE Northwest Cherry Growers