The All-American Bing
Think cherry pie. Think ice cream sundaes. Think long evenings on the back porch spitting pits and grandkids getting red stains all down the front of their shirt--that's a Bing cherry. Actually an umbrella word for a large variety of dark-red fleshed cherries, bings are known for their deep red color, rich flavor, and a relatively short season, running from early June to late July in most cases.
They're also known for their medicinal properties--bings are known to give relief to arthritis and gout sufferers. In fact some of our customers swear off gout medicine in the summer time, preferring instead to eat 7 to 10 dark red cherries a day to alleviate their symptoms--some even freeze enough to last them all year! And with a lower glycemic index than a lot of white-fleshed fruit (and their infamous high fiber content), these little sweet treats are actually pretty good for you!
What to look for in a Bing cherry? The darker the better, in terms of color, and a fresh cherry will have a springy green stem--beware the stick-like brown stems you see in the grocery store, they're a sure sign those cherries have been off the tree for weeks! You also want a firm-fleshed cherry; soft cherries may be overripe, picked in the heat of the day, or soft-frozen in the transport process. A fresh cherry will be slightly firm to the bite, and then pop with juice and flavor!
That's what we shoot for anyway. It's why we drive all the way to Washington--to be sure we are getting the best of the day's pick, and that we drive them back to you as soon as possible. You can taste the difference--and when it comes to one of the great pleasures of summer, why would you settle for anything less?
They're also known for their medicinal properties--bings are known to give relief to arthritis and gout sufferers. In fact some of our customers swear off gout medicine in the summer time, preferring instead to eat 7 to 10 dark red cherries a day to alleviate their symptoms--some even freeze enough to last them all year! And with a lower glycemic index than a lot of white-fleshed fruit (and their infamous high fiber content), these little sweet treats are actually pretty good for you!
What to look for in a Bing cherry? The darker the better, in terms of color, and a fresh cherry will have a springy green stem--beware the stick-like brown stems you see in the grocery store, they're a sure sign those cherries have been off the tree for weeks! You also want a firm-fleshed cherry; soft cherries may be overripe, picked in the heat of the day, or soft-frozen in the transport process. A fresh cherry will be slightly firm to the bite, and then pop with juice and flavor!
That's what we shoot for anyway. It's why we drive all the way to Washington--to be sure we are getting the best of the day's pick, and that we drive them back to you as soon as possible. You can taste the difference--and when it comes to one of the great pleasures of summer, why would you settle for anything less?
