All four food dryers are humming away full to the brim with cherries! It's that time of year again. This year we are doing more cherries than usual because we are drying a lot of fruit for our trip to Africa. The area we are going to be in Tanzania is not known for its abundance of fruit... Since we are going with 28 people for 2 months we thought it wise to take along some nutritious, homegrown food. We pitted about 80lbs of cherries. Kristen and her girls came over and we did it in record time. I think we started at 8 am and were cleaned up by 11:30. I do most of the pitting since I mastered that little gadget last year. Kristen kept the sorting crew going and the rest cut cherries in half to dry quicker. The kids entertained themselves by playing "I Packed My Grip" in Swahili! It was very funny and takes a ton of concentration since they were playing the words in the translated English alphabet order. Very difficult to accomplish as you get further down the alphabet.
Kristen, Christina and Dakota washing, sorting and stemming They are all cherries from Kristen's dad's orchard. He gave us mostly vans (dark colored)... they are his pollenizers and he doesn't sell them. He gave some rainiers, too but we split the box for fresh eating. We decided we could be queens for a day, 'cause get this: he sold two tons of rainiers to Korea for 50 cents a piece!!!!! Yup! Each cherry is 50 cents. Pure gold!
A lot of cherries were frosted badly this spring, so those who have them are really doing well. I guess I wouldn't want to have to buy cherries in Korea! Wonder what the cost of other food in Korea is? Nikki and Shane and kids are headed there to be missionaries teaching English next month for 2 years. They better get their fill of cherries right now.
Brianna and McKenzie pitting and halving for the dryer racks. Vanessa and I are not pictured.
I guess I don't have to explain why we pit cherries outside, do I? The hose works great for clean-up. My mom gave me a pitter that suppose to work better than this one pictured, but we are struggling to make it pit without juicing them completely. I'll work on it.
Untitled Comment
Posted by Schatzi on Sunday, July 6, 2008 at 05:01 - Link
What a busy day you had....and how exciting to be going to Africa....cherries are second in line to raspberries as my favourite fruits.
Have a wonderful evening.
Connie
Looks Good
Posted by browns71280 on Sunday, July 6, 2008 at 07:38 - Link
I can't wait to be doing the same thing. I go to WSU and get to go to the orchards to pick mine. Of course, I have to pay a dollar a pound, but it's better than paying $7.00 a pound in the grocery store for the rainers! I have been in a dehydrating mode lately and will do some of my cherries that way. That will be a good snack for the grandbaby.
Debbie
They are all cherries from Kristen's dad's orchard. He gave us mostly vans (dark colored)... they are his pollenizers and he doesn't sell them. He gave some rainiers, too but we split the box for fresh eating. We decided we could be queens for a day, 'cause get this: he sold two tons of rainiers to Korea for 50 cents a piece!!!!! Yup! Each cherry is 50 cents. Pure gold!
