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what you should know
In 1850, Seth Lewelling lit out for
Oregon to grow fruit. His first success fruit was the Black
Republican cherry, which he named in honor of the abolitionists trying to end slavery. (Back in Iowa, the Lewellings had been involved
in the Underground
Railroad.)
Lewelling named his next cherry after
Ah Bing, the foreman who oversaw his orchards. The large,
dark red Bing cherry was sweet, plump and crisp.
the pick
When it was released in the mid-1870s, it became a sensation: one
pound (roughly 35 cherries) sold for a dollar in East Coast markets. The Bing quickly became and still is the most widely grown of the sweet cherries.
tis the Cherries should
start arriving right about now from central California (and, with them, "unquestionable proof" that summer is coming). In a couple of weeks, you'll start seeing Bings from Oregon and Washington state,
where almost half the sweet cherries in the U.S.
are
grown.
low risk, high reward
The Bing--like all sweet cherries--are low risk/high reward fruits. Look for cherries that are firm and shiny. Avoid soft or bruised fruit. Store
cherries in the fridge, where they'll keep for a few days. (You can also freeze cherries.)
pit
stop To pit a
cherry, treat it like an
olive. (Or get out a nail or paper
clip.)
what you
need
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If you go in for those super-specific kitchen tools like the cherry pitter, we recommend the one made by OXO. (It'll also work for most olives.)
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As with pitting olives, we get along just fine with a dough scraper.
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Chez Panisse Fruit is filled with simple and refined stone fruit desserts.
what
you
do
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