THE 4:30 A.M. ALARM SEEMED INCONSISTENT WITH SUMMER SLEEP-IN MORNINGS, BUT FOR 3 WEEKS OF MY YOUTHFUL SUMMERS, THE BANGING CLOCK WAS OBEYED.
I WAS A CHERRY PICKER.MY SISTER, GAYLE, AND I WOULD CLIMB OUT OF BED EARLY, AND DAD DELIVERED US TO THE FAMILY ORCHARD.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN MAPLETON AT 5 A.M., YOU KNOW THERE'S MORE TO THE CHALLENGE THAN MOVING FROM THE PILLOW. THE "CANYON BREEZE" REACHES TORNADO DIMENSIONS AT DAWN, AND REMEMBERING THE MORNING CHERRY-PICKING PROCESS REMINDS ME OF CLIMBING ON THE ROLLER COASTER AT LAGOON. THE WIND KEPT THE TREES MOVING TO AMUSEMENT PARK SPECIFICATIONS FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.
WHEN THE WIND DIED DOWN AND WE NO LONGER HAD TO CLING FEARLESSLY TO THE WAVING TREE limbs or roving ladders, we knew it was time for lunch. Never mind that we'd just had breakfast.
Lunch was almost as important as how many pounds of cherries we picked in a morning - the social hour of the day.
My friends and I would compare bags, swap and share the contents. The lucky lunchers had a Twinkie or a Hostess cupcake; most of us settled for a raisin cookie.
We didn't stop long before Uncle Juan or Grandpa Oscar were wandering by to encourage our return to the harvest.
But the harvest was a game, a search for double cherries (twin fruits on one stem), for a sky hook (a limb or a wire with a curved end) to extend your reach and pull in an elusive branch, for a ladder mover to tie the 24-foot ladder securely, and for someone else to pick the top of the tree, so you could move to a new tree. The tree-topper was usually Grandpa Oscar.
Grandpa checked, too, on the rules of picking cherries. We had to pick with stems, clean every limb on the tree and try not to annoy the teenage boys who moved ladders.
Our full buckets were transferred to baskets. Full baskets were carefully rounded off and carried to the packing shed. If we were lucky, we were credited with 26 pounds in a basket. That's 3 cents a pound for about 2 hours work. Even with 100-pound days, we didn't get rich in money.
But, years later, when I saw those $2.29-a-pound cherries at the market in Raleigh, N.C., or any other place I lived, I was filled with rich memories of a neighborhood cherry harvest. An annual reminder of a family tradition.
And still, I never swallow a cherry without thinking about that overall-decked Grandpa and the lessons of life he taught from a tree.
And this year, few local growers would agree with Grandpa's ready optimism or Erma Bombeck's evaluation, "Life is just a bowl of cherries," nor would they recognize my antiquated cherry harvest tales.
Heavy frost damage has limited the cherry crop in parts of the state.
Though the harvest may be limited locally, the Northwest Cherry Growers (a marketing group to which Utah growers belong), is now picking and packing a bumper crop of cherries.
According to Kim Larson, spokesperson for the cherry industry, "The Northwest cherry season usually runs about six weeks, from mid-June through early August.
More than 95 percent of the available cherries are either Bing or Lambert varieties. The Bing is large with a round plump shape and a dark mahogany color.
The Lambert, harvested about 10 days later, is more elongated, but with a similar flavor. The egg-shaped Rainier is pale yellow with a notable pink to brilliant red blush. It is considered a specialty item because of its naturally high sugar content and delicate harvesting process. Other varieties include Van, Chinook, Black Republican and Royal Anne, the fruit most frequently processed to create maraschino cherries.
Sweet cherries are ripened on the tree, then carefully handpicked at the optimum stage of maturity. The fruit is packed in polyethylene-lined boxes, which help retain moisture while shipping. Cherries are shipped on refrigerated cars and are on their way to market within 24 hours after picking.
Though the season is short, cherry lovers can extend it by freezing the fruit.
To freeze, select firm fruit with stems and moisture-proof containers or plastic freezer bags. Wash cherries in ice water and drain. Pack in carton or bag, remove as much air as possible and freeze immediately. Frozen cherries can be stored for 6-12 months but should be removed from freezer about 30 minutes prior to use.
Cherries may also be frozen with syrup or sugar packs.
To make a syrup, boil one cup sugar with two cups water until sugar dissolves; chill. Allow 1/2 to 2/3 cup syrup for each pint container of cherries. Add 1/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid per quart of cherries. Pour about 1/2 cup ice-cold syrup into freezer container; fill half full with pitted cherries. Shake container to pack fruit as closely as possible without crushing. Fill container with cherries; leave 1/2-inch headspace for half-pints and pints, 3/4-inch for 1 1/2 pints.
For dry sugar pack, add 1/3 cup sugar to each pint of pitted or unpitted cherries. Fill freezer container; shake container to pack cherries closely. Cover tightly and freeze.
Fresh cherries may be canned with a medium sugar syrup (11/2 cups sugar to 2 cups water) and processed in a boiling water bath, 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts.
To dry fresh cherries, select firm, ripe fruit. Wash, cut in half, remove stems and pits, and place, skin side down on dehydrator trays. Dry at 140 degrees for 6-12 hours. Cherries should be leathery and slightly sticky when properly dried. To store, place in small plastic bags, seal and keep in dark, dry, cool spot until used.
*****
(Additional information)
Tips for using cherries
Here are some tips on what to do with cherries:
- Add cherries to yogurt for a sweet, low-calorie snack.
- Use cherries for a pastry filling, or bake them into cakes, cookies, quick bread, muffins or turnovers.
- Make cherry toppings and glazes for ice cream and other desserts.
- Add cherries to a favorite fruit salad recipe.
- Dip cherries into cheese dip or chocolate for delightful party finger foods.
- Stir or fold cherries into pancake, waffle or crepe batter.
- Serve ham or poultry with a rich cherry sauce.
*****
Recipes listed
Fresh Cherry Coffee Cake
Cherry Pecan Cake
Queen Anne Sunday Omelet
Savory Cherry Sauce
Cherry Pudding
Cherry Crostada
Black Forest Decadence