Cherry Table with Cloudy Ring

Try leaving a dab of mayonaise on it overnight.

BTW, the Amish paint their woodwork.

I've also heard bar keepers friend sprinkled over the stain will draw out the moisture

Really? Could've fooled me. (That makes about as much sense as saying they only use oak).

Where I grew up the Amish considered naturally finished wood to be 'proud'. Painting it made it plain. If an Amish family moved into a house with naturally finished wood trim or paneling they painted it.

Quite possible the Amish you know have different rules.

Try a wee dab of varsol on the cloudy part. Work it around in little circles on a clean rag. Chances are it's only in the wax buildup and the varsol will remove the wax. Inside the house, use the low odor stuff (also called low odor solvent). Rewaxing /polishing may be required.

Pete

The finish is probably nitrocellulose lacquer. The nitro has a very high affinity for water, which what gives us those nice, milky rings. Thus, coasters!

I live on the edge of Amish territory in SE PA, and lemme tell you, what they do for themselves and what they do for "the English" are not always the same. One of the most high-tech cabinet shops in the area is Amish. His spray booths are about three stories tall and have a water mist on the walls. I buy from the same finish supplier, and I guar-ron-tee they're shooting nitro lacquer, especially on the furniture they re-sell (don't build it; strictly a plywood box shop).

How to fix the problem? Well, I don't have direct experience with that; I don't use nitro on tables for this very reason (low tolerance of heat, too -- don't set hot coffee cups on it, either). You might try spotting the stain with a bit of lacquer thinner. If the product wasn't catalyzed, that might do it. Sorta like using alcohol to soften a dinged shellac film.

Failing that, you may have to strip the top and re-finish. You might also check with a high-end kitchen cabinet dealer/shop (NOT HD or Lowes) and see if their finish guys have any suggestions.