National Cherry Day is observed on July 16, making it the ideal commemoration for summer. Cherries range from sweet to sour, their colours range from red to yellow, and they can be used to create a vast array of dishes, desserts, and beverages. We cannot hold George Washington responsible for purportedly cutting down that cherry tree. Currently, the U.S. cherry industry annually generates over 650 million pounds of tart and sweet cherries.
The background of National Cherry Day
Cherries have been consumed for hundreds of years. From the Roman Empire to the Chinese dynasties, millions of people have enjoyed the little scarlet fruits, which were brought to America by ship in the 1600s.
In 1852, Peter Dougherty began establishing cherry trees on the Old Mission Peninsula in the state of Michigan, which marked the beginning of modern-day cherry production in the United States. In 1893, the first commercial tart cherry orchards were established in Michigan. The climate of the Midwestern region proved to be ideal for growing cherries, and mass harvesting soon followed. quickly, production surpassed other major crops, and the first cherry processing facility, Traverse City Canning Company, was constructed; the ruby-red fruit was quickly shipped to cities in the Midwestern United States. Soon after, a nationwide outreach programme was established.
The maraschino cherry, made from delicious cherries, popularised cherries in the United States. Merchants from the Balkan Peninsula and northern Italy created this popular dessert cherry by adding liqueur to a local cherry called the Marasca. In the 1890s, the resultant cherry product was exported to the United States.
In 1896, U.S. cherry processors began experimenting with an indigenous sweet cherry for maraschino cherries, using less liqueur and almond oil in the processing. In the end, the liqueur was wholly eliminated. By 1920, the American variant of the maraschino cherry had supplanted its non-native counterpart throughout the United States.
NATIONAL CHERRY DAY ACTIVITIES
Attend a U-Pick farm.
Oregon, California, and Michigan are among the states with pick-your-own cherry plantations. Spend the day outdoors gathering fresh cherries.
Prepare iced black cherry tea.
Celebrate this national holiday by giving a southern classic a twist. Cherries are a wonderful complement to iced tea, the ideal summer beverage.
Attend a contest for spewing cherry pits
Think you have skills? Eau Claire, Michigan, known as the Cherry Pit Spitting Capital of the World, annually hosts the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship. The record for cherry stone spewing is 93 feet and 6 1/2 inches. Try to surpass that!
5 CHERRIES FACTS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
Cherry trees are so fruitful that they can produce as many as 28 tarts.
Cherries can be delicious or sour.
Around 94% of all cherries ingested in the United States are produced in Michigan.
Cherry pits contain toxins and should not be consumed.
There are over a thousand distinct cherry varieties, both sweet and sour, but only twenty percent are used commercially.
NATIONAL CHERRY DAY DATES
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2023 | July 16 | Sunday |
2024 | July 16 | Tuesday |
2025 | July 16 | Wednesday |
2026 | July 16 | Thursday |
2027 | July 16 | Friday |