I'm typing with purple-stained hands. Of the 20 lbs of cherries I got
for my family, I only managed to put one quart bag in the freezer.
We're eating so many fresh. I do feel very satisfied with the
accomplishment of my one little bag, though. I know it doesn't sound
like much but I pitted them so it took about 25 min even with my handy
cherry pitter (which I'm happy to lend out - at $5 an hour. Just
kidding.) Natasha and Ann put up 10 jars of sweet cherries late
Friday night. They put them in with the pits and added a light syrup.
I hadn't thought of leaving the pits in but am tempted to do that now.
It's fine for eating them straight out of the jar - like candy.
I don't think I've ever baked with sweet cherries so I had to look
online for recipes. I found a Cherry Pudding Cake that I'm going to
try tonight (great weather for baking, I say). I also saw a Cherry
Salsa recipe that I want to try. Onion and sweet cherries together?
Hmmm...
This week is our first delivery of frozen pasture-raised chicken from
Miriam and Mervin Gingerich. They raised them especially for us and
we'll just be able to fill all the pre-orders. There is still time to
order chicken for the Aug and September deliveries. If you want to
order chicken for Aug or Sept. email me and I'll send you the form.
This is our first week for including the tropical fruits of ontario in
our order form. We are so lucky to live so near Niagara! We are also
so lucky to have connected with a farm there run by Eva and Rene who
use organic methods. Here is a description of their farming methods:
"Eva and Rene were organic farmers in Switzerland. As much as their
farm is not 'certified organic' they follow many of the organic
principles to provide healthy fruit to us. They use compost to give
their trees and fruit nutrition which helps to sustain the fruit after
it is picked which is why you get less rot and longer life than the
average fruit without the nutrients. Eva and Rene are opposed to using
harmful sprays that harm both us and the land. This is why many people
who don't usually tolerate cherries and peaches can tolerate the fruit
from Eva and Rene. When we have our peaches picked they are put aside
for us to avoid the sorting station where the mandatory fungicide
bath, fuzz removal and paraffin wax coating MUST take place. So this
fruit tastes the way the fruit was intended to taste."
We'll be offering these tropical fruits in the weekly order form as
they are available. This week we can order sweet cherries again (a
couple more weeks for the sweet cherry season) and the first Apricots
(Harcot apricots). These apricots are picked ripe. Eva says that
they do not ripen after being picked and so only her most skilled
pickers are put on the apricot trees. Next week will be the first
plums. Then come nectarines, peaches and then pears! All without
sprays!!! Eva does not have sour cherries so we're sourcing those
elsewhere (and they won't be unsprayed).
We also have raspberries beginning this week. We'll offer raspberries
on the order form but, once again, we'll have to see what the picking
is like this week and we may have to cancel the orders if there is not
enough. We'll be prioritizing filling the pre-orders for raspberries.
I'll get the order form out later today. As usual, it is due back Wed at 9PM.
Happy Eating,
Nina - and Wendell
PS Pick up is always Friday 3:30-6PM at our house 72A William St. W.
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