High-res version

Here are today’s five thing to know about Cherries:

1. Darker cherries have higher antioxidant and vitamin levels than lighter ones.
2. On average, commercially grown cherry trees produce about 7,000 cherries annually.
3. Over 75% of the cherries sold in the U.S. come from Michigan.
4. There are two main species of cultivated cherries; the sweet cherry (also called wild cherry), and the sour cherry (also called tart cherry).
5. Freezing cherries not only preserves but also concentrates and improves their taste.

Today’s Food History

• 1809 Oliver Wendell Holmes was born. American physician, poet and humorist. Author of ‘The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table,’ ‘The Professor of the Breakfast Table,’ ‘The Poet of the Breakfast Table,’ and ‘Over the Teacups.’
• 1896 Supposedly, the Chinese-American dish, chop suey, was created in New York City by the Cantonese chef of Chinese Ambassador Li Hung-Chang.
• 1905 Jack Teagarden, jazz trombonist was born.
• 1915 Nathan Pritikin was born. A nutritionist who believed that exercise and a low fat, high unrefined carbohydrate diet helped reverse his own heart disease. He founded the Pritikin Longevity Center in 1976.
• 1953 Rick Downey of the rock group ‘Blue Oyster Cult’ was born.
• 2007 Alfred Peet died. He was the founder of Peet’s Coffee & Tea in Berkeley, California in 1966.  The founders of Starbucks were fans, and openly acknowledge his influence.