Old-fashioned cherry goodness!
TRAVERSE CITY -- Herkner's Homemade Cherry Topping isn't just any old cherry product that is made in Traverse City. This cherry topping recipe has been in the Herkner family for years.
"My dad loved ice cream, and we had a fruit farm," Judy Harmon said. "We had apples and cherries, and my Dad wanted to put something on his ice cream, so he and my mother developed this recipe and he ate it almost everyday of his life."
But three and a half years ago this family recipe started serving a much greater purpose.
Herkner sister, Lynda, was hit by the downfall of the economy. After 30 years of working in real estate, Lynda planned to retire and leave her business to her son, but he was also hit by hard times and had to leave Traverse City.
"My sister Sue woke up one morning, she said, 'I know what we're going to do to help Lynda!', so she called us and we said, 'Well, let's try!'"
Pretty soon an effort to help out family led to much larger things.
"We've come a long way, we're all over Michigan, we're in Chicago, we're going to be in Ohio," Judy said. "We've been asked to ship to China and we're still working on that, but as soon as we get our markets developed and we get where we want to be we'll enlarge a lot."
Lynda said the cherry topping is made with Traverse City cherries and it has all natural ingredients and is gluten-free.
"We're all grandmas, so if three grandmas can do this, anyone can do this," Lynda said.
The sisters said it has been a wonderful experience working together to sell their parent's recipe.
"We've always said that this is a God thing," Lynda said. "I mean He has put us in the right place at the right time and it's been wonderful!"
For more information about the Herkner sisters or Herkner's Homemade Cherry Topping visit their website, www.herknersisters.com.
Contact information: Call 866-973-8495 or email Info@herknersisters.com
