Life is Just a Bowl of Tart Cherries

Three spots in TC to get your cherry treat fix

By Geri Dietze | June 24, 2023

It seems that the whole world is catching on to the magic of tart cherries, both for their clean, fresh flavor and for their value as a nutritional powerhouse. Even Martha Stewart is singing the praises of this wonderful fruit. (We can’t help wondering about the collab possibilities: Martha x Snoop Dogg x Traverse City cherries?!)

Regardless, how lucky we are to live in the Cherry Capital of the world, and how exciting it is that others are discovering what we’ve known all along? While we eagerly await the summer 2023 harvest, we’re noshing on all the cherry-inspired goodies—dried, chocolate covered, dipped in yogurt, you name it—money can buy. In honor of the upcoming National Cherry Festival, we present local three purveyors of artisanal cherry delights for you to enjoy, too.

Benjamin Twiggs

How a Spunky Castaway Reached Shore Floating on a Crate of Cherry Pits

Benjamin Twiggs and his crew left Kent, England, in the early 1700s to start an empire built on cherries in America. Sadly, only Benjamin survived the journey, but he did find a terrific location for his cherry trees: rolling hills, perfect soil, and temperate lake breezes, where he—ahem—put down roots. And, the rest is history…sort of.

If this sounds like the Johnny Appleseed legend, that’s exactly what clever teenager Jane Wilkinson used as her model in 1966 for the opening of her father Jack’s new store, the eponymous Benjamin Twiggs, the first retailer of cherry products in the state and a destination for over 50 years.

Current owner Leisa Eckerle Hankins bought the store and recipes in 2020, and it seems to be a good fit: Hankins comes from a long line of cherry producers, and the cherries used in Benjamin Twiggs products come straight from the Eckerle farm in Leelanau County. (Talk about local sourcing—you can’t get much closer than that!)

“My father produces over 1 million pounds of tart cherries every year,” Hankins says. “In the summer, we work the fields and the store from sunup to dusk,” she says. “We thrive on summer.”

A customer favorite is the Cherry Festival Preserves, made with tart cherries and low sugar. (For even lower sugar content, choose the Cherry Preserves, sweetened with fruit juice and coming in at less than 1g of sugar per serving.) Savory-sweet snackers should try one of three salsas: Cherry Salsa, with a combo of tomatoes, cherries, and spices; Cherry Garden Salsa, chunkier and less sweet, but no less delicious; and for the daring, the Blazing Red Hot Cherry Salsa.

On the healthy side, the salad go-to is the Cherry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette. And, for dessert, dig into Benjamin Twiggs’ Chocolate Covered Cherries, featuring whole sweet cherries in mild or dark chocolate.

Save the date: Coming in July, Hankins will unveil five new cherry products: a chutney, a dessert topping, a cherry vinegar, a balsamic blend, and a cherry peach preserve.

Find Benjamin Twiggs in the Campus Plaza, 1213 E. Front St. in Traverse City. (231) 947-0208, benjamintwiggs.com

American Spoon Foods

Farm to Table for 40 Years

Thousands of visitors flocking to the Cherry Festival means that thousands of products go out the door of American Spoon Foods downtown Traverse City store. (Home base for the NoMi company is in Petoskey.) The shop carries seven different cherry products, but the all-time favorite, according to manager Christy Androsky, is the Sour Cherry Preserves.

“Everyone loves it,” she says. Every jar contains two pounds of fruit, cooked the slow, slow, slow way in small-batch copper kettles. (This is the standard method for the American Spoon Food brand.) Savor it on your morning toast, in a sandwich, or serve it at cocktail hour. “It’s great on goat cheese or on a charcuterie board,” Androsky adds.

Noah Marshall-Rashid, president, CEO, and co-owner of American Spoon, credits the land itself for creating that best-selling flavor. “Michigan is an incredible microclimate for tree fruits because of lake effect, long summer days, and great maturation of fruit with high sugar content,” he says. It all comes through in this beautiful preserve, deliciously heavy with fruit and just-right tartness.

Another summer must-have is the Cherry Margarita Mix, made just a few jars at a time, with Montmorency cherries, sweet and sour cherry juice, a blend of citrus juice, and just the right amount of sweetness. Add your favorite tequila and a wedge of lime, or try it 50/50 with club soda—Androsky says it makes a great mocktail.

American Spoon Foods has sourced only the best Michigan produce for over four decades, and their relationship with Michigan farmers is sacrosanct. “We’re proud to support local farmers, and it works both ways,” says Marshall-Rashid. “We’re just so fortunate that northern Michigan farmers happen to grow the best fruit in the country.”

Visit American Spoon Foods at 230 East Front St. in downtown Traverse City. (231) 935-4480, spoon.com, (Also find American Spoon Foods in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, and Saugatuck.)

The Cherry Stop

Keeping the Traditions Growing

The Cherry Stop was a Traverse City landmark going back to 1995, but when the previous owners decided to put their focus elsewhere, Bret and Sonja Richards stepped up and purchased the business in 2018 to keep the name going for the next generations of patrons.

The duo were already busy at their Harbor View Farm in Suttons Bay, the site of orchards, greenhouse, tree nursery, and fresh lavender, including over 50 lavender products, but adding the Cherry Stop turned out to be a good fit. In fact, the lavender and cherry crops are ready at the same time. “July is bonkers,” Sonja says, but we know she means bonkers in a good way.

The Richards’ dedication to traditional quality and the addition of an on-site professional kitchen allows them to create small batch cherry products using up to 45 percent less sugar than other retailers. “Sugar is cheaper than fruit,” Sonja says, but the Cherry Stop opts to use more fruit and let the real flavor shine through.

Sonja’s top recommendation is Cherry Zing, a multi-use sauce special enough to have its own trademark. A mix of Montmorency cherries and spices gives Cherry Zing a sweet and tangy flavor that goes with just about anything, from chili to French fries, roast pork to salads, and even clam chowder.

Their Cherry Coffee is another big seller, and combines its robust flavor with nuanced layers of infused cherry. And don’t forget the classic Dried Cherries!

You can find Cherry Stop goodies at 121 E. Front St., Suite 103 in downtown Traverse City. (231) 223-4330, thecherrystop.com. (You can also find them seasonally at Harbor View Farm or at downtown Suttons Bay and Glen Arbor locations.)