The First Cherry Pit Spitting Contest Was Started, For Fun, Fifty Years Ago

National Cherry Day, celebrated on July 16, was established as a day to raise awareness of Britain’s cherries. During the 20th century, Britain lost 90% of its cherry orchards. Following the wars, cherry orchards were planted over with more vital crops to feed the people.

• 300 BC – Greek author, Theophrastus, discusses cherries in the book “History of Plants.”
• 1300s – King Charles V of France planted over one thousand cherry trees in his gardens at St. Paul and Tournelle.
• 15th Century – While they have long been a popular dessert fruit, cherries were used for their medicinal purposes in the 15th and 16th centuries.
• 1500s – The cherry was brought to England by Henry VIII after tasting them in Belgium.
• 1639 – Cherries were first brought to North America in the settlement of Brooklyn New York, around 1639.
• 1852 – Modern-day cherry production in the United States began in 1852 when Peter Dougherty began planting cherry trees on the Old Mission Peninsula in the state of Michigan
• 1896 – U.S. cherry processors began trialing an indigenous sweet cherry for maraschino cherries, in which less liqueur was used in the processing, and almond oil was added. In the end, the liqueur was eliminated completely.
• 1900s – In the gambling world, cherries are king — especially on slot machines. The reason, according to “Professor Slots” Jon Friedl: When slot machines were first invented in the early 1900s, several cities quickly banned them. “To circumvent these new laws on cash-paying slot machines,” Friedl says, ” Numbers were replaced with fruit symbols, and when you got three in a row, you won a piece of gum.
• 1920 – the American variation of the maraschino cherry was so popular that it had substituted the nonnative variety in the United States.
• 1925 – Traverse City has been celebrating the annual National Cherry Festival.
• 1950s – Door County, Wisconsin, is nicknamed Cherryland USA. During the 1950s, it produced 95 percent of the nation’s tart cherries, with more than 1 million cherry trees.
• 1974 – Herb Teichman organizes the first cherry pit spitting contest on his farm in Michigan just for fun.
• Sweet cherries are believed to have originated in Asia Minor and were likely transported to Europe naturally with the help of migrating birds.
• There is no factual evidence that our first president, 6-year-old George Washington, chopped down any of these fruit-bearing trees. The myth was created by Parson Mason Weems, who wrote the story in a biography of President Washington to illustrate his integrity and honesty.
• Cherries belong to the rose family.
• The average cherry tree has 7,000 cherries.
• A cherry tree can be harvested in seven seconds using a tree-shaker.
• Japanese cherry blossom trees don’t produce fruit.
• Sweet cherries are mostly grown in California, Washington and Oregon, and tart cherries are mostly grown in Michigan and Wisconsin.
• Traverse City, Michigan, is known as the Cherry Capital of the World.
• Eau Claire, Michigan-known as the Cherry Pit Spitting Capital of the World-hosts the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship every year. The world record for cherry stone spitting is a whopping 93 feet 6.5 inches.
• The English word “cherry” derives from the French word “cherise.” English speakers, hearing the word for the first time, misunderstood how it was spelled and assumed it was the plural for the fruit — which is why the terms “cherry” and “cherries” don’t align in the two languages even to this day.
• More than 1,000 varieties of cherries grow in the wild, but fewer than 10 are grown commercially to produce fruit.
• The average cherry pie contains more than 250 cherries.
• On average, there are about 44 cherries in one pound.
• In an average crop year, a sweet cherry tree will produce 800 cherries.
• In ancient Greek mythology, cherry trees contained the “elixir” that gave gods their immortality
• In Buddhism, cherries represent fertility and femininity, since the mother of Buddha was said to be supported by a holy cherry tree as she gave birth.
• Maraschino cherries, the popular ice cream sundae topping and cocktail garnish, are pickled in a brine of saltwater before being dumped back into that famous red sugary syrup.
• Cherries have a good nutritional value with mostly Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and a healthy dose of fiber.
• Don’t chew on cherry pits because they can release toxins.
• The country of Turkey is by far the largest cherry producer followed by the U.S.
• Removing cherry stains from hands is as simple as rubbing a wedge of fresh lemon on them.
• Red cherries contain melatonin which helps to fight against harmful toxins. These fruits also contain a high level of antioxidants which are beneficial to the human body.
• The Wood of the cherry tree has a fine structure and is often used to manufacture furniture.
• At one point in time, serving ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas was prohibited.
• Cherries are best paired with herbs like sage, chives, and verbena; dairy products like ricotta cheese and sweet cream; and with meats like pork and beef especially when black pepper is added.
• Cherries have a long history of traditional medicinal uses. In folk medicine, cherry preparations alleviated conditions like arthritis, gout, and insomnia. While further scientific research is needed, cherries’ potential health benefits continue to be explored.
• Cherries come in a variety of colors, including shades of red, yellow, and black. Each color variant offers a slightly different flavor profile, allowing for a diverse and exciting culinary experience.

Sources:

Days of the Year

Taste of Home

Harry and David

One Hundred Dollars A Month

Just Fun Facts

Mobile-Cuisine

Facts.Net

National Today