Continue reading »]]> One of the reasons people drink so much soda pop is for the caffeine, they are addicted to it. They “need” that caffeine to get through their day. So they drink too much of it or the resort to drinking versions containing artificial sweeteners which may not be so good for you either. I enjoy my soft drinks, that’s for sure, but something that you won’t see me drinking is soda with caffeine in it. I also try to choose the best tasting options available to me. I find if I had one good bottle of a carbonated treat a day that it satisfies me. So my advice for people who want to cut their soda intake is to find chooses that are good as well as being caffeine free. I am here to guide you to some of the best choices out there. You will often find that these options will run you more money than the traditional Coke and Pepsi offerings, however if you find yourself drinking less as a result, then it’s not gong to hurt your pocketbook. If you like this list, feel free to check out the beverage reviews on my site. Nearly everything is a caffeine free option.

The Best Non Caffeinated Sodas (in my opinion)

1. Sprecher Puma Kola
This caffeine free cola option was created by Sprecher Brewery out of Wisconsin. They call their soft drinks fire brewed. They use rawe Wisconsin honey in each drink. Their Puma Kola is right the top of the list of the best colas money can by. The flavor and level of carbonation is way better than Coke or Pepsi.

2. Americana Honey Lime Ginger Ale
Americana is a brand of classic American bottle sodas. I first discovered them at my local Cost Plus World Market. All of their options are caffeine free. The best of the bunch is their Honey Lime Ginger Ale. The honey, lime, and ginger flavors all perfect compliment one another. It’s an amazing drink.

3. HOTLIPS Cherry Soda
Straight out of Portland, Oregon comes HOTLIPS Cherry Soda. It uses real cherry grown in Northwest Oregon. No fake cherry taste here. They add a touch of vanilla for that little something extra.

4. Gale’s Root Beer
One of the most unique root beers out there. It’s only root beer I know containing cinnamon and ginger, both I think really work to give this caffeine free option a complex, tasty flavor.

5. Saranac Shirley Temple
You might not except to see a kiddie cocktail on this list, but this was definitely deserves to be. It has a strong cherry/lemon-lime flavor. I still can’t believe how much I liked some. I found it just across the border in Ohio, I need to get back to get some more!

6. Boylan’s Creamy Red Birch Beer
Birch beer offers a more wintergreen type taste than root beer. Boylan’s Creamy Red one is the best that I have found. Creamy is definitely the way to describe it. I had a local grocery store that unfortunately decided to stop carrying it. However I was able to get a ton of them on clearance. That was a fun time.

7. Boom Chugga Lugga Cherry Root Bear
Cherry cola is a popular combo, but you don’t see adding cherry to root beer. After drinking this, I think cherry has a new best friend in root beer. The cherry used here is real Michigan cherries!

8. Jackson Hole Soda Co. Snake River Sarsaparilla
Sarsparilla is the cousin of root beer, and while there isn’t a clear definition of the difference (read what I wrote in my review of Kutztown soda), this is my fav sarsparilla out there. Sadly I have only had it the one time, but if I see it again, I will be busting out my wallet.

9. Fitz’s Strawberry Pop
For a long time I had trouble locating a good strawberry soda pop. It took a trip to St. Louis, Missouri for me to find the best strawberry pop out there, created by Fitz’s. I visited their restaurant where you can drink fresh out of the tap soft drinks and watch the bottling process go on as you eat.

10. Frostop Vanilla Caramel Creme Soda
Last on the list is certainly not least. This cream soda made by Frostop has a wonderful caramel flavor that brings a whole new life to cream sodas. It can be hard to find sometimes, appearing it some store for a while, than disappearing. I need to search some out again.

Continue reading »]]> Last week, I read through a list of brands that were expected to disappear sometime in 2012. This list included things like A&W Restaurants, MySpace, and Kellogg’s Corn Pops. In today’s world these kinds of list are quite common. That is why it is even more amazing to see a brand that is making a comeback. Towne Club is a brand of soda pop that was created in Detroit, Michigan. I am seeing them pop up more and more at my local grocery stores. They have even came out with some brand news flavors that have Michigan ties to them. One of them is their Michigan Cherry. This cherry pop contains a percentage of real Michigan cherry juice. I am glad to see another company turning to natural ingredients when it comes to flavoring their soft drinks. Artificial cherry flavor cannot compare to the real deal.

This is a great cherry pop, good flavor and nicely carbonated. A cherry soda pop tasting like cherries, who would have thought. The best test is if my wife likes it or not. She can’t stand anything with fake cherry flavoring in it. She thought this was a good one. This is probably the best product I have had from Towne Club. Not only is the brand stay alive, it’s getting better!

Where to Buy
I have seen it at several stores in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area including Plum Market, Vince & Joe’s, and Hiller’s. Feel free to leave the name of a place that you have found it in.

Continue reading »]]> In the sour cherry world, Montmorency has reigned for a while as king. But there are other sour cherries out there that are looking to give the king a challenge. The Balaton cherry was introduced to the United States by Dr. Amy Iezzoni from Michigan State University. It originated in Hungary.

When compared to a Montmorency, the Balaton tends to be larger, more firm, and sweeter than the Montmorency. Even thought it is sweeter, don’t be mistake, this is still a sour cherry. It’s color is a dark red with a little red interior.

Their have been a lot of health claims with Balaton cherries. We do know they contain vitamins A and C, melatonin and anthocyanins. Some believe that they help with sleep disorders, reducing chances of health disease, managing diabetes to just name a few. This isn’t a gurantee, but if you are concerned about any of these, then it definately wouldn’t hurt to add more cherries particularly Balatons to your diet.

If you have a chance to get your hands on some fresh Balaton cherries, make sure you do. The season is short, and they are widely available in their fresh form. I was fortunate enough to get some at my local farmer’s market.

Below you will find a video of a farmer in Massachusetts talking about this Balaton cherries, along with another variety.

Continue reading »]]> When it comes to sour cherries – the Montmorency is the king. It is the most common sour cherry grown in the US. Most of them are grown in Michigan, but also Door County in Wisconsin is known for them. They are named after a valley in France. Their color is a beautiful bright red on the outside and white in the middle. Most of these cherries end up in pies and jams. If you are buying a pie filling in the store, it’s most likely going to be made of Montmorency. You may also see that name pop up in the juice aisle.

In recent years, there has been a lot of attention placed on drinking tart cherry juice, for it’s many health benefits. These cherries are an antioxidant that contain vitamin A, vitamin B6, and beta carotene. I have also heard of people drinking some everyday to help with muscle pain and inflammation. You can buy the juice ready to drink or you can buy concentrate that you add water to.

As it comes to taste, Montmorency pack a lot of flavor. They are sour, but not to the point of say a lemon. My 3 year old daughter ate them right off the tree. I made some delicious cherry sorbet with some Montmorency cherries that I picked myself.

Continue reading »]]> Have you had a chance to get out and pick some cherries yet? I got to pick some at Wasem Fruit Farm this past Friday. The picking was great. A lot of farm from north to south in Michigan are also reporting great picking. Here is some updates from a few of those farms.

(1) Wasem Fruit Farm in Milan still has plenty of Montmorency sour cherries to pick . Call 734-482-2342 for more information.

(2) Frank Farms in Berrien Center still has tart cherries available, but they are all pretty much high on the trees. You are bring your own ladder to pick what is left. The cost is $1/lb or $1.75 for pre-picked. They are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. They will provide containers for you to pick in. They also offer free pitting. For picking conditions, call (269) 461-4125.

(3) Erwin Orchards are located in South Lyon on Silver Lake Road for more info call 248-437-4701.

(4) Fruit Acres Farm in Coloma has both sweet cherries and sour cherries. For more info call (269) 208-3591.

(5) Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire may still have some sour cherries available, they are out of sweet cherries. They offer a pitting machine, so you can pit your cherries before you head home. For more info, call 269-782-7101.

(6) Lehman’s Orchard in Niles has sour cherries available for picking. For more info, call 269-683-9078.

(7) Farmer White’s in Williamsburg has u-pick cherries. For more info call (231) 632-1500.

(9) King Orchards in Kewadin has u-pick sweet cherries now and sour cherries on July 18th. For more info, call 877-937-5464.

(10) Rennie Orchards in Williamsburg is NOW picking both sweet and sour cherries. For more info, call (231) 264-8387.

(12) North Star Organics in Frankfort will have certified organic u-pick cherries (sweet starting July 20th, and sour from July 23rd to 30th). The sweet cherries may long last a day or two, so hurry in fast. For more info, call (231) 352-4865.

(13) Santucci Farm in Traverse City will opening again for u-pick on Thursday, July 14th. They have both sweet and tart cherries. They expect to begin harvesting their black cherries on Sunday, July 17th. For more info, call (517) 974-7233.

Closed for U-Pick for the Season

(1) Kapnick Orchards in Britton is picked out of u-pick cherries for the season. You can still buy already picked cherries. For more information, call 877-450-6096.

(2) Corey Lake Orchards in Three Rivers is out of cherries, but they have lots of other great fruit available now.

Other Sources for Michigan Cherries
(1) Schultz Fruitridge Farms in Mattawan will have sweet and tart cherries available for purchase shortly.

(2) Gallagher’s Farm Market in Traverse City will be selling tart and sweet cherries this year. Call (231) 947-1689 for more info.

Continue reading »]]> It’s time! Time to pick cherries! Farms across the state of Michigan are open for u-pick. But you need not wait. Some places that don’t have a lot of u-pick trees are already picked out. The picking conditions seem to vary alot and they aren’t just depend on how far north or south a farm is.

Click here for the most up to date Michigan U-Pick Cherry News

(1) Kapnick Orchards in Britton is picked out of u-pick cherries for the season. You can still buy already picked cherries. For more information, call 877-450-6096.

(2) Wasem Fruit Farm in Milan are opening for u-pick sour/tart cherries on Thursday, July 6th. They are open from 9am to 6pm daily (except Wednesdays). They grow Montmorency and Balatan cherries. Call 734-482-2342 for more information. They also offer u-pick on currants and gooseberries around the same time as the cherries.

(3) Frank Farms in Berrien Center are NOW picking tart cherries. They are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The price is $1.00 a pound and they will provide containers for you to pick in. They also offer free pitting. For picking conditions, call (269) 461-4125.

(4) Erwin Orchards are located in South Lyon on Silver Lake Road will have u-pick sweet cherries, starting today. For more info call 248-437-4701.

(5) Corey Lake Orchards in Three Rivers are NOW picking sour cherries.

(6) Fruit Acres Farm in Coloma will have sweet cherries NOW and sour cherries starting July 8th. For more info call (269) 208-3591.

(7) Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire has over 15 varieties of Sweet Cherries starting in mid-June with Cavalier and Viva, then Hartland, Sam, Rainier,Schmidt, Ulster, Royalton, Bing, Lapins, Hedelfingen, and more. Tart cherry harvest begins in July with Montmorency, and continues with the Balaton, Surefire, North star, and Meteor. Sweet cherries are finished for the year but the sour ones are still available. They also offer a pitting machine, so you can pit your cherries before you head home. For more info, call 269-782-7101.

(8) Lehman’s Orchard in Niles NOW has sour cherries available for picking. For more info, call 269-683-9078.

(9) Farmer White’s in Williamsburg is just about ready to start offering picking. For exact start day, call (231) 632-1500.

(10) King Orchards in Kewadin will begin picking sweet cherries on July 12th and sour cherries on July 18th. For more info, call 877-937-5464.

(11) Rennie Orchards in Williamsburg is NOW picking both sweet and sour cherries. For more info, call (231) 264-8387.

(12) North Star Organics in Frankfort will have certified organic u-pick cherries (sweet starting July 20th, and sour from July 23rd to 30th). The sweet cherries may long last a day or two, so hurry in fast. For more info, call (231) 352-4865.

(13) Santucci Farm in Traverse City will open for u-pick for one day, Sunday, July 10th. They will then open for the rest of the season on Thursday, July 14th. They have both sweet and tart cherries. For more info, call (517) 974-7233.

Other Sources for Michigan Cherries
(1) Schultz Fruitridge Farms in Mattawan will have sweet and tart cherries available for purchase shortly.

(2) Gallagher’s Farm Market in Traverse City will be selling tart and sweet cherries this year. Call (231) 947-1689 for more info.

Continue reading »]]> While not being the top dog, Michigan ranks as one of the top fruit states in the country. One of the fruits, Michigan is known for is cherries. The National Cherry Festival is in Traverse City and Michigan grows over 3/4 of the tart cherries in the United States. Cherries are great for eating fresh off the tree. But they also have many other great uses. Many of the uses can be found at Cherry Republic. They are a store that specializes in cherry products. They sell dried cherires, chocolate covered cherries, nut mixes with cherries, jams, salsa, soda pop, and more! I recently reviewed their Cherry Root Bear (Root Beer). They have over 174 cherries products.

Cherry Republic began with a guy selling t-shirts and has expanded to 4 stores. The newest store is the one I got to visit this week in downtown Ann Arbor. The store just opened up on Monday, so they are still working on all the final touches. They have a lot of great products in the store. I think the store fits in well in downtown Ann Arbor, one of the premier downtowns in all of the United States. The most exciting thing about the store opening up is it will be easier for me to get a hold of their cherry soda pop. They have these flavors:Cherry Root Bear, Cherry Ginger Ale, True Cherry Cola, LOW CAL Black Cherry, Black Cherry Cream Soda, and Cherry Soda. They go for $2 a bottle for get 6 for $11.

They are located at corner of Main & Liberty at 223 S. Main St, right in the heart of Ann Arbor. Their hours are 10am-6pm daily.

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Continue reading »]]> I am always excited to try the first of any fruit of the season. The first locally grown strawberries, that first peach variety to ripen, and of course the first fresh cherries to arrive in the marketplace. The latter, I got to experience this weekend, when Brooks cherries made their appearance at Plum Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Brooks is the first cherry variety to ripen, weeks before the popular Bing. I recently saw pictures on facebook of Stemilt growers packing their Brooks cherries for shipment. They begin their cherry harvest in Bakersfield, California.

The Brooks cherry has had a major effect on the cherry industry. It is more heat resistant than other varieties of cherries. So it is able to grow further south. It was was developed by the University of California in 1988. It is a cross between a Rainier cherry and a Burlat cherry. It has really help increase California’s presence in the fresh cherry market.

My Experience with this Cherry (Rating Scale 1-10)
Tartness : 7
Cherry Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 7

Overall Feeling: It’s a good cherry. A nice way to start the season. It has a nice balance of sweet and tart. For those who like a more tart out of hand eating cherry, Brooks is a good choice. I do think that better tasting cherries come later in the season, but I have no problem eating Brooks cherries.

Continue reading »]]> Spring is one of the most beautiful times of year, especially early May in Michigan. The tulips are up, in all the colors of the rainbow. There are bright yellow bushes and bright yellow dandiolions. But what might be the prettiest sight of all is a fruit tree displaying it’s blossoms. This is the first sign that delicious, juice-dripping fruit is on it’s way. Amongst the first trees to bloom are the cherry trees. This afternoon, I had the opportunity to visit a fruit farm in Milan, Michigan. Right now their cherry trees are in bloom.

The name of the farm is Wasem Fruit Farm. The orchard began in the 1950s. In 1978, Jan and Bruce Upston joined the team and a donut kitchen was also added. This is also around when their u-pick business began. Now in 2011, they have around 55-60 acres of land being used to grow apples, cherries, currants, gooseberries, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, and pumpkins. Bruce gave me the tour of the cherry section of the farm.

At Wasem they grow tart cherries. They tried sweet cherries before, but didn’t find much success. They have two different types of sour cherries, Montmorency, which is the sour cherry’s answer to the Bing, meaning it’s the most widely grown sour cherry. They also grow some Balaton sour cherries which, although tart, have a firmer skin and darker color than most sour cherries. Sour cherries are typically used for pies, cobblers, jams, and even in savory dishes. Their acidity and flavor are what makes a truly great cherry pie.

Wasem is one of many sour cherry growers across the great state of Michigan. Around 75-80% of the nation’s crop of sour cherries are grown in Michigan. Most of the nation’s crop of sour cherries are canned. So to find a place that sells fresh sour cherries is truly a gem. If they have a good harvest (and this year is looking good), they will offer pick your own cherries.

Another interesting tidbit I learned on this occasion is that to help with pollination, they hire a beekeeper. He hauls in his bees and they help to pollinate all the trees on the farm. This naturally enables them to grow more fruit than if they just left it up to nature.

If you are in the area around the time cherries are ripe for the pickings (and that is looking like sometime towards the start of July this year), then come check out Wasem Fruit Farm. They are located at 6580 Judd Road, Milan, MI, 48160. For information, visit their website or call (734) 482-2342.

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Continue reading »]]>

Courtesy of Stemilt Growers

There are some fruits that never disappear from store shelves. Year round you can find apples, oranges, peaches, bananas, etc. However that cannot be said for cherries. Cherries are only available for a limited time during the year. So if you want to enjoy some, it’s important to know when they are in season. To give you a better understanding of how the season unfolds, I will talk about how one company, Stemilt, extends the season. Stemilt is located in Washington, but they work with farms all the way down to southern California.

Courtesy of Stemilt Growers

The harvest begins in southern California, in Bakersfield. This usually begins around the end of April. From there, the harvest moves north to the Stockton/Modesto area. By early June, the harvest comes to an end in California. At this time, the cherries in Washington will be ready. They start in the Pasco/Mattawa area and move north to Chelan, Okanagan, and Wenatchee. They are also able to harvest cherries in higher eleavtion all the way into late August.

Courtesy of Stemilt Growers

They harvest cherries as high as 3,500 feet. So by moving from south to north, Stemilt is able to harvest cherries from late April to late August.

Now, the difficult thing with cherries is that they are very perishable. This is why by September, cherries will have pretty much disappeared from stores until the next year.

Courtesy of Stemilt Growers

The next question is: how long from harvest until the cherries hit the supermarkets? Since they are perishable, Stemilt aims to get their cherries from the farm to the truck within a day or two. And then it takes anywhere from 1-2 days for close by locations to up to 5-7 days for the cherries to make it the east coast. They use a cold chain process to keep the cherries as fresh as possible.

Rainer Cherries

Even though the harvest last for 4 months, there are peaks in the season. The California cherries peak at the end of May/beginning of June. The Washington cherries peak in early July.
There are several different varieties of cherries that Stemilt grows. They can be broken into dark/sweet cherries and Rainer cherries. There are several varieties of dark cherries but it’s up to the grocery whether they advertise the different varieties. Most stores I have encountered just sell them as sweet cherries with the expection of the Bing cherries. The differences between these cherries are subtle. The variations are usually in color, firmness, the sugar to acid ratio.

National Cherry Festival

While the Pacific states are the nation’s biggest cherries growers, other areas of the country also grow cherries. In fact, pretty much all the sour or pie cherries grown in the US commercially are grown in Michigan. These cherries are typically ready around the fourth of July and the harvest can last until the end of the month. Traverse City, Michigan is hosting their annual National Cherry Festival from July 2nd through 9th.

When you have the chance to bite into some fresh cherries, make sure you take that opportunity. There is nothing like a good, sweet, fresh cherry. So enjoy them while they are in season.