Oscar told me that the Acerola cherries needed picked. We have a little shrub in our back yard. While I was giving Edson breakfast, I asked him to pick a few. A few minutes later he came back with a bowl full and said, “There are 10 times this much still out there.
In the hot morning sun, I knew it would be insane to ask my kids to do it. They never HAD to do such a chore. So, getting my gear ready (mosquito repellent, a baggie and sunglasses) I went out to harvest these little cherries.
Right away scenes of my childhood spread across the panoramic view of my mind. Red raspberries in my dreams! Grandpa’s blueberries…so many, you thought you’d never pick them all. There were so many acerolas that they seemed to be ripening as soon as I finished a certain spot.
Since you can do much more than stand in one spot and pick, I started to be thankful. I thanked God that there were no prickly thorns like the red raspberries. I thanked God for the experience I had as a kid, picking berries…that was the only reason I had the patience to do it now. I thanked Him for the refreshing juice we would be enjoying soon, and for the laughter (two big boys and one little one bonding) coming from the house. Finally, the last one was picked!
P.S. I copied some info from Encarta for you…
Barbados Cherry, also called acerola, a tropical American shrub or small tree. The best-known species, native from southern Texas to northern South America and the West Indies, is a widely planted ornamental shrub growing to 1.8 m (6 ft) high. It has slender branches bearing glossy ovate leaves that are pointed at the tip. The rose-colored flowers, 2 cm (0.75 in) wide, grow in clusters. The fruit of the Barbados cherry, which is usually scarlet or red, is a drupe, which is a stone fruit similar to the plum, olive, and peach. The fruit has a pleasant tart taste and is sometimes used in preserves and in cold drinks. The Barbados cherry contains a large amount of vitamin C, and its juice, usually called acerola juice, is added to orange, pineapple, and other juices canned for use as baby food to increase the natural vitamin C content.
© 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
In the hot morning sun, I knew it would be insane to ask my kids to do it. They never HAD to do such a chore. So, getting my gear ready (mosquito repellent, a baggie and sunglasses) I went out to harvest these little cherries.
Right away scenes of my childhood spread across the panoramic view of my mind. Red raspberries in my dreams! Grandpa’s blueberries…so many, you thought you’d never pick them all. There were so many acerolas that they seemed to be ripening as soon as I finished a certain spot.
Since you can do much more than stand in one spot and pick, I started to be thankful. I thanked God that there were no prickly thorns like the red raspberries. I thanked God for the experience I had as a kid, picking berries…that was the only reason I had the patience to do it now. I thanked Him for the refreshing juice we would be enjoying soon, and for the laughter (two big boys and one little one bonding) coming from the house. Finally, the last one was picked!
P.S. I copied some info from Encarta for you…
Barbados Cherry, also called acerola, a tropical American shrub or small tree. The best-known species, native from southern Texas to northern South America and the West Indies, is a widely planted ornamental shrub growing to 1.8 m (6 ft) high. It has slender branches bearing glossy ovate leaves that are pointed at the tip. The rose-colored flowers, 2 cm (0.75 in) wide, grow in clusters. The fruit of the Barbados cherry, which is usually scarlet or red, is a drupe, which is a stone fruit similar to the plum, olive, and peach. The fruit has a pleasant tart taste and is sometimes used in preserves and in cold drinks. The Barbados cherry contains a large amount of vitamin C, and its juice, usually called acerola juice, is added to orange, pineapple, and other juices canned for use as baby food to increase the natural vitamin C content.
© 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
4 comments:
Sounds like an interesting fruit. Does it have "cherry" flavor? Sounds like it would be good as jam, or making pink lemonade. What a blessing to have such tropical fruits. Picking Gramp's blueberries always seemed to perk a song into my mind, and I'd sing it over and over, praising and thanking as I picked. Maybe that's why Grandpa always liked to be outdoors...nobody to interrupt as he praised the Maker of everything.
I remember making juice out of those cherries. Do you Grandma? You were right there when I made it. Oh well
Laurel
Laurel, I don't remember them. At least I didn't pick any. Guess we'll all have to go back, huh?
Yeah we should go back sometime...
Post a Comment