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Date:
7/11/2014
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Type: Demo/Sampling
They are incredibly beautiful, sweet and juicy and they’re only available mid-June to mid-August. They are: Rainier cherries.
Named after Mount Rainier, the Rainier cherry was developed by Harold Fogle in Washington State back in 1952. Fogle crossed Bing and Van – two red cherry varieties – and ended up with a golden yellow cherry with a red blush on the outside, a golden yellow inside and an amazing sweetness.
Rainiers have a thin, delicate skin which presents a number of challenges in getting them harvested, packed and onto grocery store shelves. They are highly susceptible to bruising and are sensitive to hot weather and strong winds. Because of this, growers use windscreens to protect the fruit and they also put nets over the fruit to keep birds out of the orchard.
Seems like a big job, but it’s hard to beat a Rainier cherry. The sugar, or brix, levels on Rainiers are higher than any dark-sweet cherry variety – ranging from 17 to 23 percent – hence the name “nature’s candy.” Serve these for dessert or in a salad and celebrate the sweet tastes of summer!
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