Cherry Picking Day

We were suppose to start out early for the orchards, but it was near 8 in the morning before we pulled up the hill and over to Nelsons’ Orchards. Already there were quite a few people there, and the sun was getting hot, but as we pulled into the cherry orchard itself, all I could see was the amazing way that cherries grow on trees.

These past two years have been full of ‘firsts’ for me when it comes to gardens and orchards. Two years ago, passing by the Acheson’s farm which we have all come to know, thanks to Gretchen’s glimpses into life as a Farmer’s wife, I satisfied one little wish- to walk through a corn field. The corn was just as I expected, taller than me, and I do think one could get lost in a corn field, if they really wanted to.

Last year I saw, picked and ate a peach from a tree for the first time. And this was my first time in an orchard of any size, first time to pick a large quantity of fruit, first time to see cherries ripe on a tree. This Alaskan raised girl found what most people who have grown up picking and processing fruit until they have it coming out their ears find to be tedious and mundane, to be quite the thrill. And tree ripened cherries? They’re the best!

I think I could have spent a good long time just wandering through the orchard, taking pictures and admiring the beautiful way the trees are covered with fruit, and the fruit is shaded so well with the leaves, and just soaking it up. But the sun was only getting hotter, and we had a long drive ahead of us and apricots still to pick up in a totally different direction, so instead, we located some ladders (and learned not to turn our backs on them for an instant, or they’d “grow legs” and walk away!) and set to work.

We picked and we ate, and the hours past quite quickly- more quickly than our boxes filled,  though the trees were so loaded that I could stand in one place and fill the whole box up with out hardly moving! The day was complete with a few cherry bombings from above, while I worked on the lower branches, courtesy of my brother in law, Jared, and my mischievous husband. Oh, I can’t say that I didn’t join in a few skirmishes myself, for that matter, though, of course, I only tossed the bad ones back up.

But, in spite of hot sunshine and distractions here and there, at last the boxes did get filled, as did our tummies. And yes, we did pick more than we ate, for our boxes weighed in at just over 108 lbs, making our weight guessing as we picked just about right on. (You’d think Scott had experience in cherry picking, or something…)

The cherries weren’t all for us, or I do think we’d have cherries coming out of our ears two years from now, with just the two of us to consume them. 30 pounds went to another brother and sister in law and are headed to Montana today for more family up there. Some we gave away, some we sold to others who couldn’t go cherry picking, and this morning there were somewhere around 40 pounds in two boxes sitting on the counter waiting for my attention. Of course, I would forget to buy sugar and jar flats yesterday for canning, but in spite of only having the slowest kind of cherry pitter that is made (according to Scott, anyway), I am making progress and have managed to put quite a few quart bags in our little freezer. Space has become an issue, and I’m going to try to can a few quarts with the sugar and flats I do have, and tomorrow, my other sister in law, Alina, who came cherry picking with us, and I are having a joint canning effort, and will hopefully finish all of her cherries and mine, and perhaps, too, get some apricots done up.
I think a part of the fun of picking fruit and growing gardens is the amazing satisfaction it brings when you see your little stash for winter growing. Perhaps it is something built into us ladies that makes the hard work all worth it, but even if I can go down to Walmart and buy already canned goods, I still can’t think of much more enjoyable than doing it myself, or doing it with someone else who loves it as much as I do. In the mean time, we’re enjoying all the cherries we can eat, and thanking God that America still has some fruited plains from which we can harvest, and grow, and gather lessons and glimpses not only of His love, but be reminded of His promise that seed time and harvest will always be- no matter.

It’s another month or so until peaches are on in full swing, and I probably won’t get a chance to pick them, but I’m already looking forward to bringing home a few boxes, and stashing up on what, by then, will be my current favorite fruit of the season, just like the cherries and apricots are top on my list right now.