Okay, so what do cherries have to do with cheese? Well, first of all, I just found it interesting how many national food days are out there. Every month is known for some food and almost every day is a food holiday. In fact, February isn’t just Cherry Month, it’s Fiber Focus Month, Fondue Month, Grapefruit Month, Hot Breakfast Month, and the list goes on. Believe it or not, declaring food holidays is actually one of the duties of the President of the United States. If you’re interested in learning more, The Nibble can provide you with all the details.

But, let’s get back to how cherries relate to Wisconsin cheese. Wisconsin is home to Door County Cherries… and we are known for our cheese making abilities. It only figures that Wisconsin would make a great Cherry Cheddar Cheese, a sharp rich nutty aged cheddar infused with a sweet back drop of real Wisconsin Door County cherries. If you never had it, why not try it for Cherry Month? You won’t be disappointed.

Cherries also pair well with various cheeses. Dried cherries are excellent with Comte and Pinot Noir. Comte’s a French cheese, but you can pair Wisconsin Grand Cru Gruyere or Pleasant Ridge Reserve (or Extra Aged Pleasant Ridge) with the same excellent results. Our family found that out this last Christmas. We had dried Wisconsin Bing Cherries left over from cookie baking and had the great fortune of having some Pleasant Ridge Reserve. We ate the two together and I have to say, it’s one of my favorite cheese pairings. In addition, you can pair cherries with Blue Cheese and toasted or carmelized nuts, Aged Goudas, Brie, and Goat Cheese. They are also an added flavor sensation in salads, especially ones with argula salad greens.

Cherries offer many natural health benefits. They are high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to help the immune system. Cherries also have anti-inflammatory properties which are great for the treatment of gout and arthritis pain, and are a natural source of melatonin to help people with sleep disorders. Some even claim it’s the best airplane food to have in that it helps with jet leg.

Celebrate Cherry Month. Enjoy the natural health benefits of cherries. For the rest of February, profit from our Cherry Sale of Cherry Cheddar and other great Wisconsin cherry products. Happy Cherry Month!