When you see cherries in the grocery store it is usually a great sign! It means the summer growing season is here. These red beauties keep well in the refrigerator, are always grabbed fast when simply served in a bowl, and travel well. If you have a pitter it is easy to cook them, too, when they get a little past their prime. Here are the social messages for cherries now that May is almost here. They are from Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD.Cherries are stone fruits, similar to plums, peaches and nectarines. They are also known as “drupes”.A one-cup serving of cherries gives you 90 calories and 3 grams of fiber as well as anthocyanin, a powerful anti-oxidant linked with cancer and heart disease reduction.Anthocyanin in cherries also helps reduce inflammation.Cherries have a low glycemic index value compared to other fruit.Cherries are primarily grown in the US in Michigan, California, Oregon and Washington.Use cherries as a healthy snack, chopped into salads or cooked into a sauce for beef or pork.
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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII
Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.
Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.
