About Cherries

Cherries were first cultivated around 70 BC in present day Armenia.  They are a difficult tree to grow and keep alive and have a lot of pests.  Because of this, non-organic cherries are typically heavily sprayed with pesticides.  Turkey and the United States are the top 2 producers of cherries in the world.  There are 2 primary varieties of cherries: sweet (e.g. bing) and tart (aka sour cherries).  Sweet cherries are typically the cherries we eat raw and tart cherries are typically the cherries we use when cooking.

Nutrition Benefits of Cherries

Cherries contain antioxidants – in particular anthocyanins and cyanidin.  They are known for helping with sleep (melatonin), arthritis / pain relief, reducing belly fat, lowering risk of stroke, inflammation, and reducing risk of gout.

Smoothie Tip

Buy frozen cherries.  It’s way cheaper and easier than pitting and storing fresh cherries to use in smoothies!

If you are using fresh cherries, be sure to pit them.  Blenders don’t do well with the pits.