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Fun Facts

This fleshy drupe (or pitted fruit) is native to China and has been around since at least 4000 BC. Now grown all over the world, there are about 1000 sweet and sour varieties in the U.S. alone. Michigan celebrates cherries with two annual festivals: the Cherry Pit Spit Contest in Eau Claire and the National Cherry Festival in Traverse. A cherry tree can produce around 7,000 cherries. That's a lot of cherries! A mechanical arm shakes the tree to get the cherries to fall off. A cherry pie uses about 250 cherries, so you can make up to 28 pies from a single cherry tree!

Star Power

Whenever you need to chill, have a cherry! It's a great source of the antioxidant melatonin, which is famous for its calming effects on the central nervous system. Cherries are also chock full of the anti-oxidant cyanidin, which shuts down cell-damaging free radicals. Plus there's fiber for a happy tummy, immune-booster vitamin C, and minerals like potassium for stable blood pressure. Did you know that sour cherries contain more vitamin A, C and copper than sweet cherries?

Quick Preps

PREPARE: Wash cherries well in a bath of cold water. To remove the pit, cut a slit in the side and pop the pit out.

• Eat cherries plain for a snack or sweet treat after dinner.
• Add pitted cherries to a salad.
• Put pitted cherries in the freezer and use as ice cubes to give your water a blast of flavor.
• Make a yogurt parfait with cherries and granola.