Sleep Better this Holiday Season with Tart Cherry Juice

During this time of year we find ourselves busier than ever – whether it’s entertaining during holiday parties, playing host to out-of-town visitors, or shopping ‘til we drop for every last gift on the list – we can become exhausted and in need of sleep to replenish our energy and maintain our overall health.

We’re in luck! Scientific studies continue to emerge that show the benefits of tart cherry juice and its effect on sleep quality as well as duration.

Most recently, researchers at Northumbria University, whose findings were published in the European Journal of Nutrition, conducted a study  where 20 participants were given two 30ml servings of the juice for seven days - once when they woke up and another before bed. The results were longer sleep time, less daytime  napping and up to a 6 per cent increase in sleep efficiency. People who drank two glasses of tart cherry juice also had increased ‘sleep  efficiency’ - the ratio of time spent in bed to time spent sleeping. They slept an average of 39 minutes longer.

Researcher Jason Ellis said, “When darkness falls, the body produces melatonin to signal it is time to sleep. The juice provides an additional service to what we already have to strengthen the internal signal of the body clock.

“It would definitely be beneficial to people with jet lag or coming off shift work -anywhere your internal clock has been fighting the external world.”

Why tart cherries? The Montmorency cherry (a type of tart cherry) naturally contains the hormone, melatonin, which is critical in regulating sleep-wake cycles. With the consumption of tart cherries, the body’s level of this powerful antioxidant increased significantly and thus affected sleep patterns in a gentle and natural way. 

Sources:

http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/10656/2011/12/16/glass_cherry_juice_increase_sleep_time.html

http://www.naturalhealth365.com/nutrition/tart-cherry-juice-for-insomnia.html

The Cheribundi Process – Never from Concentrate, Always Orchard-Fresh

100% juice

 We all know that Cheribundi is not made from concentrate and instead uses a gentle juicing process that preserves nutrients, taste and freshness. But what exactly is the difference between not from concentrate (NFC) and from concentrate? And does it really make a difference?

The answer is YES! Juice that is not from concentrate makes a huge difference in terms of our health and here’s why:

The Difference:

“From concentrate” means that the water has been evaporated out of the juice by way of heat and pressure. The extracted and concentrated juice can then be frozen and transported until ready for packaging. Before the concentrated juice is packaged, it is reconstituted /rehydrated where not only water is added, but there is a possibility for sugar, preservative or flavoring to be added – such as juices termed “ juice beverage” or “juice cocktail.”

Just like fresh-squeezed juice “not from concentrate” is pure juice without added water, sugar or preservatives.  The juice does goes through a flash pasteurization process, which kills bacteria right before packaging.  Overall, it is a far less processed product that conserves the taste and nutritional components of the actual fruit.

The Cheribundi Process:

50 cherries per bottle -
not water and sugar!

Sometimes even the nutrients in NFC juice can be compromised in the pasteurization process, but that’s not the case with Cheribundi! Our juicing process was developed by Cornell University food scientists to capture as many of the nutrients found naturally in tart cherries as possible. This is achieved by a gentle juicing process  that does not require super-high temperatures, meaning nutrients and flavor are sealed in, not boiled away. 

What Does this Mean for Our Health?

Less processing means more available antioxidants and phytonutrients!

A general rule of thumb when it comes to understanding nutrient levels in our food is that the more something is processed, the less nutrition it contains for our body to absorb and use. This is because in the food industry“processing” means changing the food from its natural state and thus depleting its nutritional value – it’s no longer pure, fresh or natural.

Science has proven that tart cherries alone contain record amounts of antioxidants (anthocyanins), 19 times more beta-carotene than blueberries, along with vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron,  folate, melatonin (the naturally occurring hormone that promotes sleep) and even dopamine (a chemical in your brain associated with pleasure, learning and motivation).

The antioxidants found in Cheribundi tart cherry juice fight free-radicals, which cause your cells to oxidize or age. By maintaining these antioxidant levels you can slow the aging process, boost your cardiovascular health, regulate healthy sleep patterns, prevent gout, soothe arthritis, and reduce muscle pain and inflammation.

Now, that’s a whole lot of nutritional value and antioxidant power that could be lost in other juicing processes!

Happy Thanksgiving from Cheribundi

Thanksgiving is here! It's a wonderful time of year that is full of tradition, family, friends, eating, drinking and of course, giving thanks and gratitude for all that we have in our lives. The bustle of cooking and entertaining, along with the stress of the holiday season and pressure to shop till you drop can make it a challenge to find that moment to reflect on who or what we are grateful for.
Here is a guide to Thanksgiving to help you through one of the busiest weekends of the year!

Cherrified Recipe Idea:
Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cherries & Cloves
From Epicurious.com 

This quick and simple recipe with juicy cherries and fragrant cloves offers a new take on a traditional favorite that everyone will enjoy!

2 1/2 cups cherry cider or black cherry cider or cranberry juice cocktail
1 8-ounce package dried tart cherries (about 2 cups)
1 cup sugar
1 12-ounce package cranberries
1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cloves

Bring cider to simmer in heavy, large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cherries and let stand 8 minutes. Mix in sugar, then cranberries and cloves. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours (sauce will thicken as it cools). (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Bonus idea: Cornbread Stuffing with Cherries



Regulate Stress with Tart Cherry Juice 
From  
Livestrong.com

Stress can get the best of us around the holiday season by affecting our mood and thus sleep quality. We now know that  tart cherry juice  is linked to dopamine production, which is a chemical is your brain that is associated with pleasure, reward, learning, motivation and motor control. A lack of this neurotransmitter may cause difficulty concentrating, loss of motor control, addiction, depression and cravings.
Insufficient sleep and too much stress can reduce your dopamine levels, but thankfully, some foods such as tart cherries can help naturally replenish your dopamine levels, boosting your mood and health.
One of the healthy nutrients that cherries contain is an amino acid called tyrosine, which your body needs in order to make enough dopamine.
Antioxidants also play an important role in this process. Dopamine is received by neuron receptors in your brain, but chemicals called free radicals can damage these neurons and thus interfere with dopamine use. The antioxidants found in tart cherries and other fruits and vegetables neutralize free radicals and allow your body to optimally use dopamine so that you can have a happy and healthy holiday season!




Small Business Saturday: Shop till you Drop…or Not!

First there was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday. Now, there's the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday, the day people support small businesses by pledging to Shop Small on Nov 26th.
Those hyped up sales are hard to resist, but this year, why not let go of the consumerism and participate in Small Business Saturday and shop close to home to support your local economy and community.  The best part is, you don’t have to give up low prices - local stores will still have plenty of bargains to choose from.

The only things you’ll miss out on are the traffic and the crowds!

Learn more about the movement on a Facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday.

New Study Proves Cheribundi Tart Cherry Juice Aids Arthritis Of The Knee

A new study has concluded that Cheribundi tart cherry juice is proven effective in symptom relief for patients with arthritis of the knee, it was announced today by Malachy McHugh PhD, Director of Research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital and Dr. H. Ralph Schumacher of the VA Medical Center and University of Pennsylvania. The findings were published in the Official Journal of the American College of Rheumatology on November 9th.

For the double blind cross-over trial, a group of arthritis patients were given Cheribundi tart cherry juice as well a placebo for individual six week periods. The exciting results show that patients who drank two 8-ounce bottles of Cheribundi (tart cherry juice combined with apple juice to decrease tartness) each day for six weeks had improved WOMAC scores and had significantly decreased hsCRP levels (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein). CRP is a systemic inflammatory marker and if patients had a significant drop in CRP while on the juice they had symptom relief. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) is a set of standardized questionnaires used by health professionals to evaluate the condition of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. It assesses the pain, joint stiffness, physical, social & emotional function of a person with osteoarthritis in determining the overall level of disability.

The same patients drinking the placebo received no symptom relief.   
                    

Consuming foods high in antioxidant capacity has been in the spotlight now for the last few years and the enthusiasm for tart cherry juice is hitting an all-time high, thanks to proponents like Dr. Mehmet Oz, NCAA and professional athletes, the running/marathon community, the gluten-free movement and millions of health-conscious consumers to newly discover the juice. Studies have shown that the benefits of antioxidants from tart cherries apply to virtually all the major systems of the body, including the cardiovascular system, immune system and neurons in the brain.

Announcing New Flavors: Cacao Cherry and Ginger Cherry

Two tasty new flavors are joining the Cheribundi family and we can't wait for you to try them! 

As of today, the decadent Cacao Cherry and snappy Ginger Cherry are available for purchase through our website as well as across 4,000 stores nationwide. The best part?  These new flavors still uphold the Cheribundi promise of a fresh, all natural juice that is never from concentrate and still has all the power, antioxidants and phytonutrients of tart cherries.

Cacao Cherry enters the fold as a beverage that can be distinguished as a chocolate and cherry treat providing a combination that is wholesome, sweet, tart and healthy simultaneously. It’s all the allure and indulgence of chocolate without the guilt of a non-nutritious candy bar.


Ginger Cherry is another fragrant and invigorating flavor; Ginger itself can be a pain reliever, but with the additive boost of nutrients and antioxidants from tart cherries, Ginger Cherry Juice becomes a powerful and remedial beverage.


We are eager to know what you think of these exciting and delicious flavors from Cheribundi and hope you will share with us on our Facebook wall.   
No matter what, we hope our product line continues to provide refreshing new twists on health-conscious cherry juice!

Halloween Detox in 5 Easy Steps

From our friends at Mother Nature Network

Cherry Oatmeal from www.culinary.net

We all know that Halloween is practically synonymous with sugary candy and sweets.  Cupcakes, caramel apples, candy bars, and lollipops are just a few of the indulgences we engage in over this spirited holiday. While it’s fun to treat ourselves, we can’t forget that we’re still consuming loads of processed sugar, artificial colors and flavors, and lots of empty calories that affect how we feel and our body’s system.

Here is a simple and healthy detox plan for you and your family to help rebuild and replenish the body after all of those treats and get you back on track.

Tip 1: Replenish with vitamins, minerals and nutrient-rich food. This means reaching for those colorful super-fruits (like tart cherries!) that are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients to give your body a much needed boost of nutrition.  Remember,  tart cherries also have heart-health benefits and studies have shown that they may help lower body fat, inflammation, and cholesterol – all major risk factors for heart disease.

Tip 2: Serve and eat plenty of protein. If you experienced sugar highs and lows after eating candy, protein will help stabilize your system. Protein also helps your mood, partly by giving your body the building blocks (that is, amino acids) it needs to rebuild. Plan on eating high-quality protein three times a day.

Tip 3: Eat healthy fats. Yes, some fats are healthy! Examples are coconut oil, grassfed butter and extra virgin olive oil. Fats help make you feel satisfied, so you don't feel the need to reach for the candy jar. Fats also help stabilize your blood sugar.

Tip 3: Eat lots of vegetables. All of those refined sweets are hard on your blood sugar, and they also use up minerals in your body to process them. Eating plenty of produce will get your mineral intake back on track and give your system a break from sugar. 

Tip 5: Hydrate! Drinking plenty of water throughout the day flushes out the system of toxins and aids in digestion. Drinking water also helps you feel more satiated and less tempted to eat sweets. 

A Spooky (and Cherry-Inspired!) Halloween Party

With all of the candy and sugary desserts consumed during Halloween weekend, incorporating tart cherries is a great way to still enjoy delicious and festive treats while fueling your body with nutrient-rich antioxidants. 

Enough black and orange this Halloween, red is a creepy color that will make your party look just as spooky! And remember, here at Cheribundi, we always say, GO RED INSTEAD with tart cherries!

Here are some fun and simple recipe ideas to get you and your party into the spirit:

Red Punch with Tart Cherry Creepy Crawler Ice Cubes

From Sandra Lee

www.FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

Ice cubes:

2 packages gummy bear worms

1 (32-ounce) container tart cherry juice

Punch:

3 (12-ounce) bottles strawberry smoothies

2 quarts orange juice

3 cans lemon/lime soda

Directions

Ice cubes:

Stick 1 gummy worm in each cube, with half of the worm hanging out. Pour tart cherry  juice into the ice cube trays. Place in freezer 2 hours before mixing the punch.

Punch:

Pour the strawberry smoothies, the orange juice and the lemon/lime soda into a large punch bowl and stir. Take the gummy worm ice cubes out of the freezer, and add half of them to the punch. Place remaining cubes into glasses and fill each glass with punch using a ladle.

Monster Eye Cupcakes with Cherry Filling

From Love & Olive Oil

www.LoveAndOliveOil.com

Ingredients

Cupcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only) or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Cherry Filling:

1 cup frozen cherries

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cranberry or pomegranate juice, or water

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together oil, coconut milk, vanilla bean, and almond extract. Add sugar and mix until incorporated. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth (batter will be slightly lumpy). Fill cupcake liners with 3 tablespoons of batter (papers should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Top with any kind of white frosting you like - buttercream, vanilla, or cream cheese are delicious!

Filling:

Add frozen cherries to medium saucepan along with sugar and juice. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and slightly mashing some of the whole cherries. Meanwhile, mix 1 tablespoon cool water with cornstarch in a small dish and set aside. When cherry mixture starts bubbling, add cornstarch mixture and stir until filling is thickened and is no longer milky. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Allow to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. Move to refrigerator and chill until ready to use.

Pork Chops with Brandied Cherry Sauce and Zucchini with Walnuts

From Rachael Ray

www.FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

(15-ounce) fresh tart cherries

2 rounded spoonfuls sugar -- for fresh cherries only

large boneless center-cut pork chops

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2

1 large shallot, finely chopped

Splash of brandy

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

Zucchini with Walnuts:

1/2 cup, chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

3 medium zucchinis, sliced into disks, 1/-inch thick

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put cherries in a small bowl with the sugar

Heat a skillet with an oven safe handle over medium high to high heat or, cover a the handle of a rubber handled pan with tin foil and preheat over same setting.

Season chops with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, to a hot skillet. Place chops in skillet and sear meat on both sides to caramelize the chops. Place a loose tin foil tent over the pan and transfer the chops to oven to finish off, 7 or 8 minutes, until meat is firm to touch, but not tough. While chops are in oven, place a second skillet over medium high heat. Toast nuts 1 to 2 minutes, shaking pan frequently. Remove nuts to cool and add extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and 1 tablespoon butter. Add zucchini disks, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook until tender, tossing discs occasionally, 6 or 7 minutes.

Remove meat from oven and transfer to dinner plates. Cover chops with foil to keep warm. Place chop skillet back on stove over medium heat. Add a tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. Add shallots and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add cherries and warm through. Add brandy by removing the pan off the burner to add the alcohol, then flame the pan. Burn off alcohol for 1 minute, then add stock. reduce stock a minute, then add butter in small pieces. Toss sauce to combine and sprinkle in mint. Pour sauce down over chops and serve the zucchini with walnuts along side.

www.FoodNetwork.com

Vampire Bite Cherry Mocktail

From Sandra Lee

Ingredients

2 cups tart cherry juice, chilled

1/2 cup apple juice, chilled

1/4 cup grenadine

1 1/2 cups seltzer water, chilled

1 tube red candy gel

4 gummy vampire teeth

Directions

In a pitcher combine cherry juice, apple juice and grenadine. Stir together then add the seltzer water.

Squeeze the candy gel onto a small plate. Rim the edges of 4 low-ball glasses in the candy gel. Pour in the

drink evenly into the glasses. Garnish each glass with the gummy vampire teeth and serve.

Cherry Gooeys

From Food Network Magazine

www.FoodNetwork.com

Directions

For cookie dough, beat 1 1/4 dark brown sugar and 1 stick butter until fluffy, then beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; stir into the butter mixture. 

Then add 4 ounces melted semisweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons buttermilk with the eggs. Add 2 cups chocolate chunks and 1 cup dried cherries to the finished batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls and chill 30 minutes; bake 8 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Choose Tart Cherries to Help Beat "Fruit Fatigue"

From ChooseCherries.com and The Cherry Marketing Institute

Just four fruits – oranges, bananas, apples and watermelons – account for nearly half of America's fruit intake (for adolescents and adults).

Eating a variety of rich-colored fruits is essential to an overall healthful diet, but most Americans are falling far short of the daily recommended consumption of fruit. Only one in five Americans is currently getting the recommended 1 to 2 cups of fruit each day (depending on age, sex and physical activity level).2 In fact, Americans only average 42 percent of the recommended fruit, so the gap is significant.

“It‟s challenging to get the recommended amount of fruit, and a variety of fruit, so finding new ways to incorporate fruit in your daily eating plan is key to fighting what I call "Fruit Fatigue, " said Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of a new book, MyPlate for Moms, How to Feed Yourself & Your Family Better. "The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA's MyPlate icon encourage Americans to 'make half their plate fruits and vegetables',  and to do that we need to think about variety, taste and form when focused on fruit.”

Tart cherries – one of today's hottest Super Fruits – can be a powerful way to add variety, flavor and unique health benefits to a daily menu and help beat America‟s “Fruit Fatigue.”

A Versatile Super Fruit

Fruit provides a number of benefits to the daily diet – from contributing important nutrients, to reducing risk factors for many diseases, to aiding in weight management – yet people cite numerous barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption. These include limited access to fresh produce, lack of prep time or energy to plan, inconvenience and high spoilage of fresh fruits and vegetables, among other factors.3 According to Ward, buying fruits in multiple forms, like tart cherries – which are available dried, frozen or as juice year-round – can help ensure that you'll always have a supply on hand.

Go Red Instead for Taste and Health

Most importantly, taste remains the top driver of America's food decisions, making it essential to find great-tasting fruit options. Eighty-seven percent of Americans name taste as the

top consideration for food purchase, according to the IFIC Foundation 2011 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes Toward Food Safety, Nutrition & Health. And, new/unique flavors and flavor combinations are in demand, driving three-quarters (75%) of the best-selling new foods and beverages introduced in 2010-11.4

Tart cherries have a unique sweet-tart taste that can help fight America's “Fruit Fatigue” beyond the current top four picks. Ward says cherries‟ taste profile and year-round availability make them a versatile ingredient that works for any meal or snack occasion. Ward says one of her favorite meals for lunch or dinner is the Farro Salad with Roasted Asparagus and Dried Cherries – a recipe featured in her book.

Powerful antioxidants in tart cherries have been linked to anti-inflammatory benefits, and they're also a good source of much-needed potassium – one of the “nutrients of concern” identified in the Dietary Guidelines.

“As a dietitian whose goal is to help improve America's health and nutrition, I know that people need a variety of fruit every day, but getting the fruit they need should be easy, like choosing tart cherries.”

The Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) is an organization funded by North American tart cherry growers and processors. CMI’s mission is to increase the demand for tart cherries through promotion, market expansion, product development and research. 

Give Fall a Warm Welcome with these Seasonal Recipes

The leaves have changed colors, seasonal crops are piled high in the grocery store, and Halloween costumes are on everyone's minds. Fall has arrived! But we can't forget that this change in season also makes way for some seasonal baking! 

We found a lovely collection of seasonal recipes that not only incorporate the fall favorite: pumpkins, but also our beloved tart cherries...

Cherry-Pumpkin Seed Muffins

From Herbivoracious

Ingredients:

6 tablespons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup whole milk

8 ounces fresh cherries, pitted and roughly chopped

1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds, toasted in a skillet or oven

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease or line 12 muffin cups. Beat butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, either in a mixer or by hand. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Gently mix half of the flour mixture into the butter, then half of the milk, then the remaining half of each.  Stir in the cherries and toasted pumpkin seeds. Distribute the batter into the muffin tins, and top with the raw pumpkin seeds. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

White Chocolate, Cherry & Pumpkin Seed Bark

From Just a Taste

Ingredients:

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
Pinch of salt
12 oz. white chocolate
¼ teaspoon Allspice
¾ cup pitted, dried tart cherries

Directions: 

Toast the pumpkin seeds by placing them in a pan over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning (be careful as the seeds may crackle as they heat).

Remove the toasted seeds, toss them with the salt and and set them aside to cool. Make a double boiler by first boiling a large pot of water. Break the chocolate bar into pieces then add the pieces to a smaller pot. Hold the smaller pot over the boiling water to melt the chocolate, careful not to let any water leak into the smaller pot. Stir the chocolate continuously until it is smooth. Add the Allspice and mix until well incorporated. Pour the chocolate onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate out until it is roughly ¼" thick. Immediately top with the toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cherries. Let the bark harden in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place for at least 4 hours, or until firm.

Cherry-Walnut Pumpkin Bread

From Brown Wood Acres

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter loaf pan. Line bottom and 2 long sides with waxed paper. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin, then vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions each. Fold in Brownwood Acres Dried Tart Cherries and nuts. Transfer batter to pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake bread for about 1 hour 10 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Cake with Sage Ice Cream and Pumpkin Cherry Compote

From Epicurious

Ingredients:

For pumpkin cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup safflower or canola oil

1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin purée or canned solid-pack pumpkin

For compote

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 lb fresh pumpkin (preferably sugar or cheese pumpkin), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)

Continued...

Click Here for full recipe

October is Non-GMO Month!

From The Organic Center and The Non-GMO Project

Even though tart cherries are not a genetically engineered crop or at risk of becoming one (thank goodness!) we would still like to bring awareness ­ to this movement and help you understand the facts about GMOs. Here at Cheribundi, we are happy and proud to be able to provide a product that is pure and natural, but we can’t always count on other products to do the same. In fact, products are not required to label GMO ingredients for the public, which brings up the issue of consumers having the right to know what they are buying.  Let’s break down what exactly GMO means...

What are GMOs?

"Genetically modified organisms,” or GMOs, are organisms that have been created through gene-splicing techniques that are part of biotechnology. These transgenic methods for moving genes around are also called “genetic engineering,” or GE.

This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be transferred into another species, creating transgenic organisms with combinations of genes from plants, animals, bacteria, and even viral gene pools. The mixing of genes from different species that have never shared genes in the past is what makes GMOs and GE crops so unique. It is impossible to create such transgenic organisms through crossbreeding methods and would never happen in nature.

The Nine GE Food Crops on the Market:

·         Corn

·         Soybeans

·         Canola

·         Cotton

·         Sugar Beets

·         Alfalfa

·         Hawaiian Papaya

·         Zucchini

The majority of today’s GE crops contain modifications that are either :herbicide-tolerant" or engineered to express a bacteria insect toxic in plant tissues or “insect-protected, contain or both.

How Common are GMOs?

There are about 320 million acres of cropland harvested every year in the U.S., of which about 140 million are planted to GE seeds.

According to the USDA, 93% of soybean seeds planted in the U.S. in 2009, and 93% of cotton and 86% of corn seeds were genetically engineering and hence produced GMO plants. It is estimated that over 90% of canola grown is GMO, and a comparable share of sugar beets are now herbicide tolerant.

There are about two-dozen applications for new GE crop technologies in the USDA pipeline.  Monsanto has submitted eight of the pending petitions, and Syngenta, Pioneer, Bayer, BASF, and Dow all have submitted two.

Are GMOs Safe?

In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. Many health-conscious shoppers find the lack of rigorous, independent, scientific examination on the impact of consuming GM foods to be cause for concern.

What’s Next?

The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization working to offer consumers a consistent non-GMO choice for foods that are produced without genetic engineering or recombinant DNA technologies.

You can take the Non-GMO Pledge on their website and become one of the thousands of consumers that are taking part in Non-GMO month, celebrating the public’s right to choose.

Also, you can follow the Just Label It Campaign and sign a petition to tell the FDA to start labeling GMO foods and products.