Summer is the best season of all in “Cherryland USA.”
By Felisa Billet
DOOR COUNTY, WIS., also known as "Cherryland USA", is one of the country’s leading producers of Montomorency cherries. With more than 2,000 acres of orchards, the county can harvest more than 10 million pounds of this super fruit each year.
Beggining in May, when the cherry trees blossom, and continuing through harvesting season, which starts at the end of July and carries into August, cherries take center stage on the peninsula.
“Cherries permeate the county,” says Jon Jarosh, marketing director of the Door County Visitor Bureau. “You’ll fi nd them everywhere—in baked goods from a roadside market, in jam at a B&B, even printed on clothes at boutiques. In Door County, everything is cherry.”
Wine bottles from Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market
One of the reasons why Mont-morency cherry trees flourish here is because they can survive northern Wisconsin’s cold winters. Snow on the ground actually protects the trees’ roots, and the moderating effect of the surrounding waters makes Door County an ideal location to grow the tart fruit. But the process of bringing the fruit to the table isn’t a simple one.
Country Ovens’ cherry
vineyard
“Cherries don’t have a long harvesting season,” says Cherie Krowas, co-owner of Krowas Orchards in Baileys Harbor. “The two or three weeks that we harvest at the end of July or in the beginning of August are very intense.”
Once all the trees are “shaken” (so the cherries fall), the fruit is transported to the processing plant where they are pitted and frozen. Too much light and heat can affect the bright red color, making the fruit very perishable, so the processing is done as quickly as possible.
preparing pies at
Sweetie Pies
A fully mature cherry tree produces more than 100 pounds of fruit each season. There are about 7,000 cherries on an average tree, which is enough for about 28 pies.
Cherry pie is Door County’s favorite dessert, so make sure to check out Sweetie Pies in Fish Creek. However, cherries can be seen in just about every type of dish throughout the peninsula.
cherry-stuffed French
toast at The White Gull Inn
Nontraditional takes include cherry-stuffed French toast at The White Gull Inn and sautéed quail in Door County cherry sauce at The Inn at Kristofer’s in Sister Bay. ‘Door County Cherry’ is one of the top three flavors at the Door County Ice Cream Factory & Sandwich Shoppe, and Montmorency cherry wine is one of Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market’s varietals.
Cherries are found in shops throughout the peninsula, such as The Cherry Hut in Fish Creek, which is Door County’s oldest roadside market. Every July, Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Marketplace hosts the annual cherry fest. Entertainment includes a cherry pie eating contest, a cherry pit spit contest and cherry wine tastings.
Mike Johnson, owner of Country Ovens, Wisconsin’s largest manufacturer of dried cherries, always wondered why cherries were not available in the same form as raisins. Twenty years ago, he asked his wife, Kathy, to dry a small batch in the dehydrator that she had purchased at a garage sale. The results tasted so good, they decided to go into business. Today, Johnson’s dried cherries are sold throughout the world.
“When you use dried cherries in any recipe that calls for raisins, you get an unbelievable flavor,”Johnson says. “There is no comparison between a raisin oatmeal cookie and a cherry oatmeal cookie.”
At the Country Ovens hub in Forestville, visitors can sample all of its products, including chutneys and salsas, and witness the production process from viewing windows.
In addition to their delightful taste and unique health benefi ts, Door County’s cherries are known for their character. “Character” is the industry term for the amount of pulp in a cherry, but it also refers to the unique quality this fruit has bestowed upon the region. And, in both cases, the Montmorency reigns supreme.
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Cherried Treasures
Check out these Door County cherry attractions
The White Gull Inn
888-364-9542
www.whitegullinn.com
Door County Ice Cream Factory & Sandwich Shoppe
920-854-9693
www.doorcountyicecream.com
The Cherry Hut
920-868-3406
Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market
920-868-3479
www.orchardcountry.com
Sweetie Pies
877-868-2744
www.doorcountypies.com
The Inn at Kristofer’s
920-854-9419
www.innatkristofers.com
Country Ovens
800-544-1003
www.countryovens.com
RECIPE
CHERRY CHILI
Chopped dried cherries bring out delicious flavors in this spicy yet tart chili.
INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces dried tart cherries, chopped (¾ cup)
2 cups fat-free low sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into ¼” cubes
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups chopped fi re-roasted tomatoes
1½ cups cooked black beans (or 1 16-ounce can, rinsed and drained)
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Heat one cup of the broth. Place cherries in small mixing bowl. Add hot broth and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
Do not brown garlic. Add turkey and cook until it is no longer pink.
Add roasted bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, coriander, mustard and oregano. Cook mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and remaining cup of broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.
Stir in beans, cherries and cilantro. Continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes or until mixture is just heated through. Season with additional salt if desired.
Yields: about 2 quarts or 8 servings
Sweet, Tart and Good For Your Heart
Find out why cherries are one of today’s hottest “super fruits.”
Researchers at the University of Michigan found that a diet rich in cherries signifi cantly lowers blood cholesterol levels and other risk factors of heart disease. This year, the American Heart Association certifi ed dried tart cherries as “heart healthy.”
Cherries are loaded with antioxidants. They also contain fi ber, vitamins A, B, and C, and minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium.
Cherries have signifi cant anti-inflammatory properties. Eating cherries daily (recommended intake is about 20 cherries per day) may help alleviate inflammatory disorders such as gout, arthritis and fi bromyalgia.
