Cherries are one of the most anticipated summer fruits. The short California cherry season generally begins in mid-May, hits its peak by the end of May, and tapers off considerably by mid-June.
The San Joaquin and Santa Clara Valleys are ideal for growing cherries with the perfect combination of nutrient-rich soil and sunny yet mild temperatures needed to produce superior-quality fruit. There are approximately 600 cherry growers farming over 26,000 acres, with most being small family farms ranging from 10-30 acres in size. Consumer demand has steadily increased, both domestically and as a key market export to Japan.
Bing and Rainier are the most popular cherries produced in California, with their large size, sweet flavor, and crisp, juicy texture — perfect for healthy snacking right out of hand. Bing cherries have a deep, rich red skin color and flesh with a sweet, rich flavor. Rainier cherries have a mottled gold and pink skin color, with fine-textured flesh and colorless juice. Rainiers have a very sweet, yet delicate flavor.
During the short cherry season, you will find up to 15 different varieties at our farmers’ markets including old favorites like Chelan, Ferrovia, Utah Giants, Brook, Royal Rainier, Royal Lynn, and Burlats, just to name a few.
Here are some fun facts from the California Cherry Board:
- Cultivation of sweet cherries likely began with Greeks, and later Romans, who valued the tree’s timber as well as its fruit.
- Sweet cherries came to America in 1629 with English colonists, and later to California with Spanish missionaries.
- Today’s Bing Cherries come from stock that dates back to the 1800s when California became an established cherry production region.
- Sweet cherries (like California Bings) are members of the species Prunus avium.
- The sweet cherry originated in Asia Minor, in the fertile area between the Black and Caspian Seas, and was probably carried to Europe by birds.
- Cherries are members of the Rosaceae family, subfamily Prunoideae — a distant cousin to peaches, plums, apricots, and almonds.
Eating 10 raw cherries a day will provide about 10% of daily fiber. Cherries have healing properties such as melatonin to aid in sleeping and are loaded with potassium and vitamin C. Bing cherries contain anthocyanins (antioxidants) which may help fight inflammation, arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.
RECIPES: Mache Salad with Cherries and Pancetta, Romaine Salad with Smoked Turkey and Cherries, Grilled Chicken with Cherries, Fresh Cherry Salad with Melon and Mint, Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Chutney, Arugula Cherry Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette, Bing Cherry Ice Cream, Smokey Cherry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, How to Make Cherry Vinegar, Curried Chicken Cherry Salad, Fresh Cherry Pie, How to Make Cherry Brandy, Lazy Man’s Cobbler,
