Wednesday, June 21, 2006

cherries

We went to the farmer's market this morning and bought two pounds of cherries, in addition to golden raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Still, my children just went on a walk (telling me first!) and returned with stolen cherries. I suppose the forbidden fruit tastes better....they remind me that they are pirates, so they have to plunder. Ah.

I do have to say that it sure looks like a lot of cherries around here are going to rot and fall off the trees, because they are at *peak* ripeness and just sitting there. Sigh.

10 comments:

Jennifershmoo said...

A lot of the cherries around here split because of the heavy rains. Many farmers have lost most of their commercial crops, but you can still U-Pick them. The split ones still taste good and make good smoothies.

Anonymous said...

Finally! Someone else who has heard of golden raspberries!

Elizabeth said...

You know, that's kind of funny, because carrying them around after we bought them we were asked twice at the farmer's markert what they were! They are very tasty.

That's really too bad about the split cherries, and it is nice they can still do u-pick. I worked in fruit packing, growing up in central California, and it was a shame how much we had to throw away.

Anonymous said...

Hey, that other anonymous ain't me.
I heard a report here, last week that because of the illegal immigration issues being discussed, there were not enough farm workers to pick the oranges and strawberries. Could that be happening in Oregon too?
Too sad - to have cherries rot on the tree. =(
-Libby

Mimi said...

Blueberries already? I'm jealous. It's strawberries here so far.

Elizabeth said...

That's very interesting, Libby--I hadn't heard the latest fallout from the immigration issue. I'd be interested to read a blog post from you about what you think about the immigration thing, since you, like me, have spent years living in the middle of the whole thing.

But the trees I'm talking about are at private residences--people who have a tree in front of their house and the cherries are just sitting on it, about to cross over into rotting. The kids brought home more today....I have really mixed feelings about them doing this, and I told them that if they get caught they deserve any wrath they get. Zac said "pirates like wrath!"

But on the other hand I hate to see the cherries just rot. The birds aren't even eating them, like they always did our cherries in California, when I was growing up. Probably way too many cherries for even the birds to eat. And, of course, the socialist tendencies of this family make it easier to justify....your cherries are my cherries! If something was growing in abundance in my garden I honestly wouldn't mind someone coming and helping themselves, as long as they used it and didn't just waste it.

And I have to admit that the kids are right--these do taste better than the ones we get at the farmer's market.

Elizabeth said...

Yeah, the first blueberries I've seen, locally! Yum! I keep telling the kids we have to wait for local. They keep asking for watermelon, but any watermelon we see came from California. We'll enjoy it much more if we wait and eat what's in season locally.

Ah, and the first *real* tomatoes yesterday, too! I've been a little upset with the people who bring that *hydroponic crap* to the farmer's market. When one booth I frequent had tomatoes yesterday for the first time, I asked "are these hydroponic?" She replied with a wrinkled nose, looking disgusted at such a prospect. "No!" Ah, the first real tomatoes of the season, then! I have tomatoes growing on my vines, and I expect they might be ready around the first part of July.

Anonymous said...

A farmer told me a few days ago that farmers had a hard time getting workers last year, too. According to him, it has more to do with workers getting better jobs other than agriculture. The youth used to do these jobs before the beaurocrats decided this was child abuse. Kids love to work and earn money, at least they used to. Many are much too lazy now to do anything other than play video games and eat unhealthy food.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it make more sense for your kids to go ask for permission to pick the cherries? I loved to give away my surplus fruit and veggies, but I would want a person to ask before just taking them.

Gina said...

The fruit out right now is amazing. Makes me glad to be a (new) Californian. :)

-Gina