CALIFORNIA CHERRY SEASON OFF TO A GOOD START

The cherry season is very short in California and typically lasts 6 to 8 weeks depending on the weather or variety. Cherries are a small and delicate fruit and need to be handled with extreme care.  The fruit starting to size up on the tree can still be damaged if there is heavy rain or wind.  Extreme weather can cause the cherries to split or crack and that part of the crop is lost. The cherries dangle together in groups of 2 to 6 pieces of fruit and the wind can cause them to bang up against each other, causing bruising on the shoulders of the fruit, the area near the stem. It has been an unusual year thus far with wet and cold and hot and dry weather throughout California. The warm weather brought on lots of blossoms and fortunately the rain did not delay the start of the season. We are seeing some softer pieces due to weather and are keeping an eye on quality with each land.

Dwelley in Brentwood, less than 2 hours from San Francisco, is known for their delicious cherries! Tioga cherries have consistently been some of the first harvested in California. Tiogas have glossy firm dark flesh and a very sweet flavor that is similar to Bings. We will see their first Royal Hazel cherries this week. High flavored Hazel cherries are a beautiful looking shiny cherry with sweet firm pink flesh and a good shelf life.

Plump sweet red Bing cherries are the most popular variety grown in the Sacramento, Stockton and Lodi areas.  Other varieties grown in California include Tiogas, Royal Lynn Sequoia, Tulare, Brooks, Chelan, Lapin and Rainier. California has a combination of nutrient-rich soil, abundant sunshine and mild temperatures, producing sweet fruit.