When the French settlers from Normandy migrated to the Midwest, they planted cherry pits along the Saint Lawrence River and in the vicinity of the Great Lakes. A Presbyterian missionary from Michigan, Peter Dougherty, is credited with beginning modern-day cherry production. In 1852 he planted cherry trees near Traverse City, Michigan. But while sour cherries were becoming an industry in Michigan in the 1850s, sweet cherry orchards were thriving in the Willamette Valley near Salem, Oregon, thanks to a man named Henderson Luelling and his brother Seth. Henderson had planted his orchard in 1847. Seth joined his brother at his orchard and took over in 1854. He developed a sweet and succulent cherry and he named the variety Bing. Cherries belong to the same family of other stone fruits such as plums, apricots, peaches and almonds. Sweet Cherries include varieties such as the Bing, Lambert, Napoleon (also called the Royal Ann) and Rainier. Sour Cherries include the Montmorency, which accounts for 95% of all production. All varieties of cherries have very short growing seasons. Bing cherries are generally available from the end of May to early August, with peak season in June and July. Rainiers are available until about mid-August. The growing season of sour cherries such as Morello and Montmorency is very short - begin and end in July. Any fresh cherries found in the market after August are most likely from cold storage, although there are some imports from New Zealand during the winter months. So before the fresh ones are gone for the season make yourself a fresh cherry pie. You'll be glad you did. ~ Chef ~ 
