Before I tell you why I was right, here’s a funny story. When we lived in Kentucky, we were just down the road from Reid’s Orchard. They have apples. They have strawberries. They have peaches. You could buy it in their store or, sometimes, you could pick your own. They had a huge Apple Festival every year in October and I looked so forward to that. One year they had cherries and you could pick your own. I’d never had cherries except sweet cherries so that’s what we were expecting. Vince, Chad and I went to the orchard, got our buckets, went out and began picking. We picked and picked. They looked so yummy! Chad decided to eat one. He said “You had better taste these before you pick any more!” Vince and I each popped one in our mouth and promptly spit it back out and handed our buckets of cherries to someone . . who was much wiser than we were. We had no idea the value of sour cherries for pies and jam but we left without cherries and never went back there again for cherries.
Then we were living in Missouri and a friend asked if we wanted to come pick sour cherries. I said . . been there, done that . . no, thanks. He said . . they make really good jams and pies? Hmm . . maybe we will come pick some.
Sour Cherries
As we got ready to leave, our friend said “How are you going to get the stones out? Don’t have a clue! They let us borrow their stoner. Over the next few days we picked about 40 pounds of cherries.
Cherry Stoner
We began scouring antique malls looking for us a cherry stoner. We did find one and I know where it is but . . I have not had cherries since picking those at my friend’s house.
Cherry Jelly and Jam
I made jelly and jam and froze some in packages for making pies. Oh, my goodness – those cherries were so good and I always think of the cherries we walked away from in Kentucky.
Cherry Tree
Not long after picking the cherries in MO, we decided to plant four cherry trees in our back yard. Not long after we planted them, we moved!
So . . we began planting fruit trees in Texas. Vince said “They will not grow here!” I asked the guy at the garden center and he said they would grow. Vince said “Sure, he’s going to say that. He’s trying to sell you a tree!” I insisted. If we don’t plant them, we’ll for sure never get cherries. Later, Vince admitted . . ok, the tree MAY grow, but it will never produce cherries!
The experts say montmorency cherries will grow in zones 2 – 7. We’re zone 8a . . pretty close to zone 7. There are plenty of places on the internet that say they will grow and produce even in zone 9. It was worth a chance for me and we planted 5 or 6 trees. One has died. I know we have three trees . . maybe four. I can’t remember.
Cherries
I water those cherry trees. I baby them. I say nice things to them and look at that . . cherries! I’m so excited. There aren’t many but there are some and that means . . cherries will grow here and that means .. I am right!! 🙂
Sherrill Pecere says
I had a HUGE cherry tree (sour, that is) in my backyard in Okla. City. We picked those every year and pitted them and my mom froze them and we had cherry cobbler ALL winter long!! SO YUMMY!! And we got a lot of cherries off that one tree.
Sharon engel says
I remember hanging pot pie tins in the cherry trees to scare off the birds. Don’t know if they make small aluminum tins like that any more. Love cherry pie.
Joyce says
When I moved into my current house, there were 4 cherry trees in the yard. Over the years they have all died. 🙁 I definitely miss my cherry trees!
Carol says
We had a sour cherry tree here in SW Missouri in our backyard when we moved here in 1977. It died several years ago. I made lots of pies and cherry almond jelly that was oh so pretty. I always gave the jelly to friends and family. I learned a trick from my sister-in-law – I used 3 cups cherry juice and 1 cup apple juice for the jelly. It didn’t make a difference in the taste and I could make more jelly. I have a cherry pitter like yours and it sure was put to good use.
dezertsuz says
When I lived on the Rez, we just to drive up into Utah and pick cherries – every home has cherry trees, peach trees, and often apple trees. I borrowed my friend’s cherry pitter – oh such yummy pies, you are so right! I have my own pitter now, but haven’t had any good pie and jam cherries in forever.
cassews says
Love to make Cherry jelly so yummy ….Yes you were right ,better mark that on the calendar and keep it at the end of the year so if he brings it up you can say yes I was right … (what I gotta do to my hubs as he feels he’s always right and I am wrong .. Hahhahahahahaha)
Linda in NE says
My Grandma used a cherry pitter like that. I wonder whatever happened to it? I didn’t come across it when I cleaned out my Mom’s house.
Marie Gilkey says
When I was a kid my Dad planted FOUR of those cherry trees. Mom would tie aluminum pie tins and Dad would tie pieces of black and green water hose in different places trying to keep birds out of the trees. And of course we picked all of those little buggers too. You know haven’t picked any since either.
Karen S. says
Our cherry tree produced for the first time last summer. I was so excited the tree was loaded. Went out to pick cherries and the birds had beat me to them! Every last one was gone! I will be better prepared this summer! Good luck with yours.
Judy Laquidara says
We’ve been pretty lucky with the birds not eating our figs or plums but I’m surprised. We throw out a lot of bird seed and I put it way away from the orchard. Our cherry tree isn’t loaded so if the birds get any at all, I’m not going to have enough for anything. I’ll be watching and if I have to park my chair under the cherry tree and guard it, I may do that! 🙂