The first maraschino cherries were made in Europe in the 1800s, and were a special treat for the wealthy. The name comes from the cherries themselves, which were Marasca cherries grown in Croatia, and they were preserved in a liqueur made from the juices.
In the late 1800s, maraschino cherries became popular in the United States, but the imported version was a rare delicacy, and Americans began trying different ways to preserve other kinds of cherries. Most of them turned out pale and mushy – hardly the kind of thing you’d want to garnish your cocktail or top your cake. Read on to find out how a professor in Oregon developed the modern maraschino cherry:
During the late 1920s and early 1930s, a man named Ernest H. Wiegand worked as a professor in the horticulture department at Oregon State University.
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Current methods of preserving marachino cherries left them mushy and bland, and Professor Wiegand was determined to find a better way.
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Over the course of several years, he developed a way to preserve the cherries in a brine solution instead of using alcohol, and the modern maraschino cherry was born!
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Today’s maraschino cherries are defined by the Food & Drug Administration as, “cherries which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar, and packed in a sugar syrup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor.”
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Two Oregon companies produce nearly all of the maraschino cherries sold in the United States. Gray & Company has processing plants here in Oregon, as well as in Michigan, and it’s the largest producer of maraschino cherries.
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Oregon Cherry Growers is a cooperative that consists of family farms that work together to grow and harvest cherries, and produce maraschino cherries. The company sells its cherries on retail shelves, as well as in bulk to restaurants, bars, and food manufacturers.
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Whether you like your maraschino cherries as a garnish on your Mai Tai…
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…or as a delicious, decorative topping on your favorite dessert, you should be proud to know that these lovely, bright red jewels were invented right here in the Beaver State!
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Did you know that modern maraschino cherries got their start right here in Oregon? What’s your favorite way to eat them? Tell us in the comments!
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