The Cherries in Cherrygood are very special indeed and so we treat them with with as much care as possible. After being picked in the orchards, they are sorted and then squeezed through a specially designed cherry press to create the wonderful juice that we use in our products.
The amazing Montmorency cherry grows in the 'cherry belt' in Michigan in North America. It's a beautiful area, set in rolling hills close to Lake Michigan. The area provides the perfect growing conditions for Montmorency cherry trees.
The Montmorency cherry is special because it is exceptionally high in antioxidants which are increasingly recognised as vital to long term health and wellbeing. Montmorency cherries make for a much better and healthier juice.
The cherries are picked when perfectly ripe, usually around mid to late July, depending on weather.
The 'cherry belt' is actually in Michigan's larger "fruit belt" which strides the shore of Lake Michigan where they grow all kinds of fruit, including apples, peaches, plums and strawberries. The lake plays a key role as a moderating body, preventing temperatures from getting too cold in the autumn and too hot in the summer. It also provides the frequent rainfall that fruit farmers require. This climate combines with rich soil and regional topography to provide ideal fruit-growing conditions.
Michigan's fruit growing started to boom about the time of the American Civil War. Michigan is now the number one state for tart cherry production.
Many people feel that the best fruit in the world is grown in northwestern Michigan.
Cherries are not only good for you, but they're also part of a growing trend as one of the "Super Fruits." A growing body of science reveals tart cherries, enjoyed as either dried, frozen cherries or cherry juice, have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, when compared to other fruits. They also contain other important nutrients such as beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries) vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, and folate.
Emerging evidence links cherries to many important health benefits - from helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout, to reducing risk factors for heart disease. Cherries also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body's natural sleep patterns and aid with jet lag.
While there's no established guideline yet on how many cherries it takes to reap the full health benefits, experts suggest
that 1-2 glasses of juice daily can help provide some of the health benefits identified in the research.
Our diets generally remain woefully low in fruits and vegetables, despite studies that link these foods to lower risks of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. One of the reasons cited for low fruit consumption is that people aren't aware that all forms count -- dried, frozen and juice. The tart cherries in Cherrygood are an easy way to boost your fruit intake all year round.