In 1842, a Presbyterian missionary named Peter Dougherty first had the idea to plant cherry trees in the Traverse City area of Michigan. Everyone told him cherries wouldn’t grow that far north, but Dougherty’s trees flourished as the sandy soil and temperate weather conditions along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan provided excellent conditions for growing fruit. The wind blowing from Lake Michigan helps to moderate the area’s weather by cooling the orchards in the summer and warming them during the winter.

Such is the love of cherries that the Traverse City area hosts a National Cherry Festival each July which attracts over 500,000 people for a week long celebration of the little, red fruit!

Sweet cherries are grown primarily for fresh eating and include such varieties grown here as Emperor Francis, Napoleon and Schmidt. Maraschino cherries often used to dress up a cocktail or top off an ice cream sundae are made from sweet cherries.

Tart cherries have a sour taste when eaten fresh, but they are excellent for baking. Montmorency is the most common variety of tart cherry used in jams, juices, preserves and pie fillings. Tart cherries are extremely perishable, so they are harvested quickly and canned or frozen immediately.

Mike and I really enjoyed visiting the Cherry Republic shop today where we loaded up on smoked cherry BBQ sauce, cherry salsas, salad dressings and iced cherry pretzels! Great shop where you can eat and drink your way around all the samples!

Sweet or tart? Answers on a postcard!