Cherries…. Little Red Balls of Goodness Cherries are one of the most popular fruit trees in our region. I myself have four of them in my yard and my cherries are almost ripe. These red, tangy yet sweet berries have been around for centuries. But, believe it or not they are not native to our area, they were brought over on boats in the 1600’s by settlers. There are several different varieties of cherries. For example, the Bing cherry, lambert, Rainer, lampins, van Skeena, sweetheart, santina, and Chelan. There is also the black, black stone, choke, maraschino, Morello, napoleon, North Star, Spanish and tieton. As one can see, there is a cherry out there for everyone. Cherries are not only delicious but healthy as well. Most varieties are high in antioxidants, vitamins and essential nutrients. Cherries also have amino acids and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as, an abundant amount of fiber that alone will help to maintain a healthy digestive system. Cultivation of the cherry has been documented as far back as 300 B.C. This berry has a very short growing season. Here in our neck of the woods, they are the first tree of the spring season to bear fruit. They are grown from the pit of the cherry, the pit is chilled then put in the ground in autumn. Seedlings will normally pop out of the ground in the spring. It takes a good 3-4 years for a tree to bear fruit, and they do not fully mature till they are 7 years or older. I know I love to see my trees come out into bloom. Not only because it is a sure sign spring is here, but, because when they shed their blossoms it looks like it is snowing, and my yard has a beautiful white blanket of blossoms that resemble a fresh layer of snow. Not long after they shower my yard with these little white beautiful specks, I can walk out and see these little, pale green balls that are hanging from their stems. This is the first sign that my cherries are on the way. I have the good fortune of watching them as they slowly ripen and become a gorgeous color of red. That is when you know they are ready for picking. Cherries truly are little red balls of goodness….
