Cherries in February? What’s that about?

Featured photo: TOP-First generation of Kistlers in Mason County, photo circa 1909.  Ron’s grandfather Maurice is sitting on his father John’s lap. (Courtesy photo.) BOTTOM-The newest generation of Kistlers include three boys to carry on the family name. (Photo by Carmelitta Tiffany.)

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is updated from the original version published on Feb.15, 2023. It contains photos of the Kistlercrest Farms’ sugar shack and more information from Sue Kistler about the farm’s maple syrup operation.

Story by Carmelitta Tiffany

If you’re like me, you might wonder why February is National Cherry Month. After all, cherries are harvested in this part of the world in July and August. According to https://nationaltoday.com/national-cherry-month/, it’s because George Washington, who supposedly cut down a cherry tree, was born in this month. Of course, we also celebrate President Lincoln’s February birthday and honor all presidents on Presidents’ Day, a national holiday.

Perhaps it’s also because this is the time of year when cherry growers can whoop it up a little. Spring is pruning season, summer is the harvest, and fall is for processing and storing the little ruby gems.

Cherries and more at Kistlercrest Farms

I have a friend whose family raises cherries. She married into one of the first farm families to settle in Mason County. For 128 years, across five generations, the Kistler family has been growing apples and sweet and tart cherries, as well as raising cows. Their pride and joy is their stand of maple trees that produce award-winning syrup they can and also use to make candy and maple sugar ⸺ a favorite addition to many of my recipes. Sue Kistler said they usually produce 1,000-1,500 gallons of maple syrup, though some years production as been as low as 400 gallons and another year they set a record. As for this year, she said:

“We were a bit concerned before the season started, considering the very odd winter we had. But so far every day that it has run it has run really well. So, we are very hopeful that we will have a decent season …

“We will make syrup as long as we get this kind of weather and the trees don’t bud. As soon as they start to swell, we are done because it will make the syrup bitter.”

The sugar shack at Kistlercrest Farms. Courtesy photo.

In the Kistlers’ sugar shack are Ron Kistler (standing) and “Grandpa Dan” Kistler, who will soon celebrate his 92nd birthday. Courtesy photo.

Ron Kistler checks the specific gravity of the syrup. Courtesy photo.

Sue was raised on a small farm in Free Soil and told herself that the man she would marry would be handsome, rich and NOT a farmer. She is proud to say she ended up with Ron, a handsome farmer.

The whole family is involved in the success of the farm, with daughters Mandy, Meagan and Jesse, and their families, helping in some capacity. Ron’s father, aka Grandpa Dan, 92, still helps with the syrup operation.

The farmer’s life is far from easy, and most of the Kistlers also have day jobs, adding to their workload. But, as Ron says, the pros and cons of farming are both the same: working outside and being self-employed. Sue sees lots of blessings, like making sure the public has healthy and tasty foods, and getting to bake a pie whenever she feels like it. Her favorite recipe (below) is a Kistler family favorite, using both cherries and maple syrup.

Find their seasonal Kistlercrest Farm Market, established last year, at 4049 S. Pere Marquette Hwy., Ludington. Contact the farm at: kistlercrest@gmail.com or 231-843-3032. Their products are also sold online at kistlercrest.com and at local farmer’s markets and other venues.

Sue Kistler’s Cherry Maple Pie Recipe

Ingredients

Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Filling

8 heaping cups cherries, fresh or frozen.
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp arrowroot powder
1/8 tsp almond extract (optional)
2 tsp vanilla
Top crust:
One egg, beaten
2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9-inch pie dish.
2. Add flour, salt, and cubed butter to a food processor. Blend 20-30 seconds or until dough begins to form, stopping to scrape down sides.
3. Add maple syrup. Blend for 10-15 seconds or until ball begins to form. If still crumbly, add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Dough should hold together when pinched.
4. Place dough in bowl and form into ball. Refrigerate while making pie filling.
5. Add cherries to large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add lemon juice. Cook about 10 minutes or until liquid is expressed. Turn heat to medium.
6. In a separate bowl, mix maple syrup and arrowroot powder. Stir mixture into cherries.
7. Let cherries cook down and thicken, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat once thick like filling. If too thick, add a little water. Let cool completely (about 1 hour).
8. While filling cools and has about 15 minutes left, take dough out of fridge. Separate into two even balls.
9. Roll out one of the balls into a circle, wide enough to fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Place in the bottom of a greased pie dish. Repeat with the remaining dough and set aside for the top crust.
10. Pour cherry filling into pie dish. Add top crust, pinching edges together for a crimped look. Add a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
11. Bake 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Refrigerate at least 3-4 hours.

Carmelitta Tiffany resides in Mason County, where she spent the last 30-some years enjoying the blessings of rural life. She is a semi-retired journalist who serves those needing “wordy” advice through her business, West MI Editorial Services.

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