Sunday News: 50 kinds of cherries await fans in U-pick orchards
Tomato season calls for Wonder Loaf, butter tarts in Kenmore, UB student vegan restaurants
With U-pick season under way in Western New York, cherry and blueberry lovers are racing to get their annual stash tucked away before the season ends. Early strawberries are waning, but late strawberries are yet to ripen.
An updated list of current U-pick opportunities follows.
Bittner-Singer Orchards in Appleton, northern Niagara County, where cherry fans can fill buckets with 50 varieties of sour and sweet cherries, offered a Frequently Asked Questions post so informative about the U-pick scene that I am sharing lightly edited excerpts. The details apply to Bittner-Singer alone, but all prospective pickers can learn about the feng shui of the field.
Varieties and types of cherries: Sweets are what most Americans eat fresh. Most varieties are red to dark mahogany. We have lots of the darks, some whites and just a few yellow in our orchard.
Sour: the tart cherry typically used for pies and deserts in America is the Montmorency variety. They have a bright red skin. We have lots of those. They start to ripen about July 10 and we should have them till late July.
People from most of Europe and the Middle East are familiar with sour cherries darker in color than Montmorency. The ones we have come from Hungary, three varieties that ripen though July.
If you are looking for a special type of cherry, ask at check in. We try to have a list of row numbers of ripe cherries of each type to send pickers to the most likely area of the orchard to find what you want. There are 50 varieties of cherries in our U-Pick orchard, so you should find something you like. Most customers mix different varieties.
All our cherries are on dwarf rootstocks that keep the trees from growing tall. No ladders or climbing trees are allowed. We will pick some of the cherries that are too high to reach from the ground to sell at area farm markets. Most cherries can be reached from the ground.
Harvesting cherries with the stems on thinking they keep longer is a myth. Cherries do not ripen after they are picked. If they do not taste good when you pick them, they will not taste any better days later.
Different varieties ripen throughout the month, so we will be open for about four weeks, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, rain or shine. People older than 2 pay a $5 picking fee, which will be credited to your purchase. There are no refunds for not using your credit.
This is a working farm, therefore please wear closed toe shoes - sandals and flipflops are not allowed. For safety reasons, handbags, backpacks, and vehicles are not allowed in the orchard. There are sticks, stones and other debris on the ground.
Likewise, picnics are not allowed in the orchard. Also, remember the orchard is bring in, take out. We have trash bins near the entrance. Please do not leave trash in the orchard.
How much do the cherries cost? If you pick less than 10 pounds, they are $5 per pound.
All dogs must be leashed and you MUST clean up after them. Please do not allow them to bother other pickers.
We have plastic bags that fit into the picking buckets we use, so you do not need to bring any containers to pick cherries. We pull the bag out of the bucket and weigh it to calculate the price. Please DO NOT pick more cherries than you want to purchase. All cherries you pick need to be paid for. Growing fruit is our livelihood, not our hobby.
For picked cherries, check out Singer Farm Naturals just east of our orchard or Hiller’s Sweet Corn Farm on Route 78 in Burt. We also have a stand at the Clinton Bailey Market.
6620 Lake Road (Route 18), Appleton, bittnersingerorchards.com, 716-778-7330
U-pick cherries 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
6275 Jockey Road, Burt, kappusfarms.com, 716-778-8396
U-pick cherries 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.
Also, for canners and bakers: 25 pound buckets of pitted sour cherries, $120. “No pits, no stems, no sugar added.” Give your contact information to Kappus and you’ll get a call to pick up your bucket at the farm around August 2. Order here.
12229 Hanford Road, Silver Creek, 716-410-0599
Blueberries are in. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., closed for rain. Bags and buckets provided, $3 a pound. No dogs.
13420 W. County House Road, Albion, panekspickinpatch.com, 585-589-6155
Raspberries and blueberries are in.
3724 Quaker Road, Gasport, beckerfarms.com, 716-772-2211
Blueberries, raspberries. Here’s the U-pick schedule.
1897 Davis Road, West Falls, blueberrytreehousefarm.com, 716-833-8733
U-pick organic blueberries start July 9. Admission $8, blueberries $4 per pound.
REVIEW: Yalley’s African Restaurant offers Buffalo a delicious way to learn more about the dizzyingly diverse world of African cuisine. Yalley’s menu is centered in the cuisine of Ghana, the west African nation on the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by Togo, Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire. On Kenmore Avenue, diners can get in touch with pan-African classics like jollof rice and fufu, plus Ghananian specialties like peanut-habanero chicken soup, “red-red,” blackeyed peas in palm oil, and deep-fried turkey tails. (Tuesday, for patrons.)
WONDER LOAF: When Barry Enderwick brought his Sandwiches of History to Buffalo Improv House, I was invited to join him on stage to make a sandwich. Upon learning his bread was nothing special, I had the opportunity to introduce him to the Wonder Loaf from Miller’s Thumb Bakery, my favorite sandwich bread in Buffalo.
Master miller-baker Steve Horton wanted to pay his respects to Wonder Bread, whose Buffalo bakery once supplied much of the Eastern Seaboard. Using his house-ground flour, he fashioned a loaf that brings me right back to the formica kitchen table where mom spread jam on toast.
It’s just $5.95, same price as when Horton and Jill Colella opened Miller’s Thumb at 258 Highland Parkway, Tonawanda. It’s tomato season, and there is no finer foundation for your tomato sandwich needs.
BUTTER TARTS IN KENMORE: At the Kenmore Farmers Market this morning, Kate Knowles sold out of her Manchester Place Banking Co. butter tarts in 45 minutes.
Next week, Knowles will bake more. The line starts at 9 a.m. Sunday, July 13.
ASK THE CRITIC
Q: Vegan food near UB? Here over the summer and I'm looking for some spots that I haven't heard of yet.
A: Vegans at UB do have some options for satisfying meals, within walking distance of both campuses. (In good weather, at least.)
On campus:
Bollywood Bistro, in the Commons, always has four or five vegan dishes, like gobi mattar, zeera aloo, and chana masala.
Off North Campus:
Falafel Bar, 3545 Sheridan Drive (2 miles from Capen Hall), Israeli chef does falafel, hummus, babaganoush, and many other vegan favorites. thefalafelbar.com
Natalie’s Mediterranean Eatery, 807 ½ Millersport Highway (2.1 miles from Capen Hall), Lebanese falafel, hummus, vegan soups daily. nataliesmediterraneaneatery.toast.site
China Taste, 1280 Sweet Home Road Suite 102 (0.8 miles from Capen Hall), tofu, eggplant, cucumbers, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, and bok choy center many vegan dishes. chinatastebuffalo.com
Off South Campus:
Caffe @ Amy’s, 3234 Main St. (0.3 miles from Hayes Hall), is a breakfast-lunch spot with deep vegan roots. Amy’s lentil and broccoli breakfast, seitan sandwiches, and “wet shoes” - vegan chili over fries, vegan cheese available - leave plant-based beings satisfied.
More reading from Michael Chelus:
Andrew told us how burgers have returned to The Frontier House in Lewiston with the opening of Fairbanks [Four Bites]
Low Bridge Café, located inside Explore & More - The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children's Museum at Canalside, offers a family friendly meals [Buffalo Rising]
Francesca told us about the Da Nando - an Italian sandwich being made by Nado Silenzi at da Nando in Clarence [Buffalo News]
Eli Fish Brewing in Batavia was awarded the first-ever New York State Brewers Association's new Social Impact Grant [Buffalo Beer League]
Brian's Buffalo Beer Buzz told us about the 12th annual Bricks & Brews at Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House, Summerfest at Southern Tier Brewing Company's Lakewood location and more [Buffalo Beer League]
#30#
Headed to pick cherries today! Thank you for the suggestion!
If you are alert there are cherries around for free, albeit smaller ones. Try the lower Niagara River Gorge north of the Whirlpool stairs. Be on the lookout for oyster mushrooms as well. If you aren't up for 400 steps, park by the Schoellkopf elevator and walk along the path toward the Rainbow Bridge. A sour cherry tree with ripe red fruit is on the left after a short distance. Also, bring scissors and a vase and snag a bouquet for a loved one.