Michigan Tart Cherries Review

The region around Traverse City grows roughly three-quarters of the nation’s tart cherries — the bright-red, sour Montmorency variety that goes into pie, juice, dried snacks, and everything else — thanks to a fruit belt where Lake Michigan moderates the climate just enough for the orchards to thrive. Every July the city throws the National Cherry Festival, and year-round the cherry shows up in every conceivable form: pie, jam, salsa, dried and chocolate-covered, wine, even in savory dishes. It’s the defining crop and flavor of northern Michigan, and eating a fresh tart cherry (or a proper cherry pie) right where they grow is a genuine seasonal pleasure.