Michigan Tart Cherry Gift Basket Giveaway

I'm excited because this is my very first giveaway! The Cherry Marketing Institute sent me a tart cherry gift basket filled with a bag of Michigan dried tart cherries and a bottle of tart cherry concentrate. Cherries are my favorite fruit, so I'm pretty happy. One of my readers will also have a chance to win a tart cherry gift basket!

A few years ago, The Cherry Marketing Institute invited me to attend an educational cherry immersion event in Traverse City, Michigan - The Cherry Capital of the World. The Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) is a nonprofit national promotion organization that's funded by U.S. tart cherry growers.

You can read about my tart cherry experience here: The Elusive Tart Cherry of Northern Michigan

Cherry Facts 

Tart or sour cherries are recognized as the key ingredient in decadent desserts, but their potential health benefits are promising! There are over 1,000 varieties of cherries, but the two main types are sweet and tart. Both sweet and tart cherries are high in antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, iron, folate and fiber. However, tart cherries have been found to contain more beta carotene, vitamin C and anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants and the pigments responsible for the bright red color of cherries. If a fruit or vegetable has color, then anthocyanins are present. Tart cherries are the richest source of anthocyanins 1 and 2, which may reduce inflammation associated with heart disease, arthritis, and assist with muscle recovery after strenuous exercise. Anthocyanins may also inhibit the growth of colon cancer tumors.

Fresh tart cherries are very delicate, so they're rarely shipped fresh. Therefore, the cherries are frozen, dried or made into a juice or concentrate.

Cherries May Help Relieve Muscle Pain Associated with Exercise! 

Oregon Health & Science University discovered that tart cherry juice may relieve muscle pain and inflammation associated with running. Runners who drank 10½ ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for a week before their race and on the day of their race had considerably less pain than runners who used a placebo. The researchers concluded that tart cherry juice may be being a safer way to treat muscle pain and inflammation than over the counter pain relievers.

Get More Rest with Cherries 

The University of Texas Health Science Center found that tart cherries contain substantial levels of melatonin, an antioxidant. Melatonin may help regulate sleep and maintain the body’s circadian rhythm. Melatonin has also been said to fight jet lag and may even prevent cancer. Since the body contains melatonin in very small amounts, even a slight increase in melatonin can have very promising results.

Quick and Easy Ways to Add Cherries to Your Diet 

Fresh tart cherries are hard to find, but they are available frozen, dried and as a juice or concentrate. (Your other option is the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan, in early July every year!)

 - Dried tart cherries are delicious in salads, quinoa, yogurt or on top of your oatmeal.

 - Mix dried tart cherries into low fat muffin or bread batter.

 - Create your own granola or trail mix with dried tart cherries.

 - Add an ounce of tart cherry concentrate to your water or sparkling water, or in your next smoothie, for a refreshing drink full of antioxidants.

Find delicious recipes at The Cherry Marketing Institute's Recipe Database


The Cherry Marketing Institute generously sent me 2 gift baskets, so a Nutritious Feast reader will win a bag of delicious dried tart cherries and a bottle of concentrated tart cherry juice!

Enter through the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional, but you'll have a better chance of winning if you submit more entries. A random winner will be chosen on or around August 9th! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Elusive Tart Cherry of Northern Michigan

Picture taken with my Blackberry Storm (I'm not talented like Matt Armendariz)


When he was by, the birds such pleasure took
That some would sing, some other in their bills
Would bring him mulberries and ripe-red cherries
--Shakespeare, "Venus and Adonis," ll. 1101-3


The Cherry Marketing Institute invited me to attend an educational cherry immersion event in Traverse City, Michigan. The Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) is a nonprofit national promotion organization that is funded by U.S. tart cherry growers. I was joined by some pretty amazing bloggers, photographers, professional chefs and dietitians. I loved that we were there during the National Cherry Festival.

We all learned a great deal about cherries from our guide Phil Korson, President of the Cherry Marketing Institute. The wonderful team from Weber Shandwick enriched our time in Traverse City by being generous hosts who took us to the most beautiful places in Northern Michigan. I am very grateful to them all.


The Boathouse Restaurant



Our table at the Boathouse Restaurant overlooking Bower's Harbor

Our welcome dinner was at the Boathouse Restaurant. Owner Doug Kosch makes sure his restaurant uses the "farm to table" concept. He grows most of the restaurant's vegetables, fruits and herbs with his wife on their farm .

We were treated like royalty by Chef Eric Nittolo. Every dish he created had a cherry theme. It was exquisite and something I will never forget! It was after 8 pm and the sun was still shining above Bower's Harbor.


My cherry martini

We began with cherry cocktails and I had the perfect cherry martini. We then started our four course dinner! The servers brought out plates with duck, cheese and a fresh salad with goat cheese, walnuts, apples, spinach, beets and cherry vinaigrette dressing. Then, we had a main course choice of ahi tuna or filet mignon. I selected the filet mignon even though I rarely eat red meat! It was so tender and had a tart, but slightly sweet cherry sauce.


Filet Mignon

Chef Eric made cherries jubilee for dessert. It was like a work of art, plus it tasted so good! (Remember - Everything in moderation! Yes, you can eat it.)


Cherries Jubilee

Cherries Have a Wide Array of Health Benefits


Dr Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD talks about the health benefits of cherries


Dr. Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD, helped us understand the science behind the succulent red fruit. Her presentation taught us that cherries are a homegrown super fruit with a wide array of health benefits.

I will post about the health benefits of cherries soon, but here are a few quick facts:

- Tart cherries contain at least 17 antioxidants.

- Anthocyanins 1 and 2 are important antioxidants found in cherries. They can block enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) that are involved with the pain and inflammation of arthritis and gout.

- Anthocyanins are the plant pigments that give cherries their rich red color.

- Anthocyanins also have anti-inflammatory properties and may inhibit the growth of colon cancer tumors.

- There are 30 to 40 mg of anthocyanins 1 and 2 in 100 grams of fruit. Anthocyanins 1 and 2 are not found in blueberries or cranberries.

- Tart cherries also are rich in the antioxidants kaempferol and quercetin.

- Research shows that tart cherries contain high levels of melatonin, a powerful antioxidant that can eliminate free radicals. (free radicals are toxins involved in diseases such as cancer, heart disease, etc.) Melatonin also helps regulate natural sleep patterns!

- Montmorency cherries contain almost 6 times more melatonin than Balaton cherries.

- Tart cherries contain 19 times the beta carotene of blueberries and strawberries.

- Cherries are also rich in fiber, vitamin C, iron, folate. potassium and magnesium.

*I'll also talk about ways to add tart cherries and tart cherry juice to your diet in a future post.