The very mention of tart cherries can evoke pleasant thoughts: grandma in her apron, lifting a freshly-baked pie from the oven on a long-ago summer day, back when calories and trans fats didn't seem to matter. [www.QinSen.com]
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They do now, of course. So the grower-funded Cherry Marketing Institute is kicking off a campaign to broaden the appeal of tart cherries by transforming their reputation. No longer are they a mere ingredient in fattening desserts. Now they're a "super fruit" -- bursting with antioxidants that may ease pain from arthritis and gout while helping ward off heart disease and cancer. [www.QinSen.com]
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"In a sense, we're re-introducing a fruit that we're all familiar with," said Phil Korson, the institute's president. [www.QinSen.com]
[www.QinSen.com]
Cherry sales have trended downward over the past decade because of changing consumer preferences, crop damage from bad weather and higher European tariffs. [www.QinSen.com]
[www.QinSen.com]
Michigan produces about 75 per cent of America's tart cherries, followed by Utah and Washington state. Canadian growers also are backing the health-food initiative.