Sour Cherry Picking

Yesterday I finally made it to the Samascott Farm in Kinderhook, NY ( http://www.samascott.com/), about 40 min drive from the house. It is famous (at least amongst eastern Europeans) for the sour cherries. They have a ton of other fruits and veggies available for picking, probably the best variety that i have seen in the area. It is a very easy ride - about 10 min off the highway through the picturesque and historic parts of the Columbia County. There's another farm stand on the way that is known for their honey and pies.

I went with my friend Alla, a serious sour cherry connoisseur (she came armed with 5 or 6 containers to fill!). The farm has 2 varieties of sour cherries, and at least 2 varieties of the sweet. The rain has not been kind for the sweet cherries, but the sour were fantastic - plump and juicy and free of blemishes or splits. The cherries are a mere $2/lb vs $3.5/small container at the market (if you are lucky to find it!). I filled up 2 gallons in about 20 minutes - way more than I need, so I will bring some to work to share :) I will freeze most of it for my family when they come up for a visit.

We also picked up some onion (the car still stinks!!!), kirby cukes, summer squash and the rainbow swiss chard. All of the mentioned produce went for $1.25/lb. Also in season were blueberrries, raspberries, garlic and Alla picked some remains of the strawberries.

Anyways, place is a gem and I will visit it again next year for sure. Maybe i will combine it with a trip to nearby Hudson so I could check out recently reviewed by CelinaBean Baba Luie for dinner or lunch.