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Harvest Song Ventures
Sour Cherry Preserve

Calling from Armenia on one of her twice-yearly trips to visit the orchards during Harvest season.  Sylvia Tirakian explains the key to the complex and sophisticated flavors of Harvest Song’s latest addition to its line, Sour Cherry Preserve “Armenian topography is very versatile and we pick the sour cherries from different altitudes, so we get layers of flavors”
 The sour cherries come from the Mt. Ararat Valley of Armenia.  The fertile land and exceptional spring waters give Armenian fruits and vegetables a succulent taste.  In fact, Tirakian and her business partner, hotelier and carpet designer James Tufenkian, launched their New York-based artisanal food company so they could share the joys of Armenian fruit with their friends in the States.  “It’s my job to always introduce new products made only from local fresh fruits,” she notes.
 “The sour cherry is a fantastic fruit and has been celebrated for many years by Europeans as a preserve.  We were excited to introduce it into the U.S. market,” adds Tirakian.  Describing the fruit as juicy, scarlet red and uniquely tart, Tirakian points out that “the Sour Cherry Preserve was already in demand in specialty stores.  Once customers tasted it, they absolutely loved it.”
 The Sour Cherry Preserve is all-natural with no preservatives, has a chunky, yet jam-like texture, and is pitted by hand.  In Armenia, the traditional way of eating the preserve is to use it in tea in lieu of sugar, or to mix it with yogurt.  “It also pairs beautifully with soft cheese,” –T.S. R.S.N. 177