Cherry season is here! Did you know there are more than 1,000 cherry varieties grown in the United States? That’s a lot of pits!  Each type of cherry has a unique sweet or tart flavor. Many are great for eating fresh while other tart varieties are more suitable for baking. As a general rule, the darker the cherry, the more intense the flavor.  

Read on to learn about some of the popular varieties we will be offering this season: 

Bing Cherry

• Distinctive heart shape 
• Deep red to rich mahogany color when ripe. The darker it appears, the riper this particular cherry is. 
• Intensely sweet with a vibrant aftertaste 
• Fun Fact: Bings are so popular that in Washington state they are used to measure the growing season of other varieties. Cherry seasons are described as the number of days before or after Bings (for example, two weeks before Bing).

Benton

• Dark, sweet cherry 
• Sweet, exceptional flavor with more acidity than Bings 
• Semi-freestone, easy to pit 
• Great for fresh eating and cobblers/pies 

Brooks

• Rounded heart-shape 
• Bright, glossy red skin that turns a deep mahogany when ripe 
• Sweet, rich flavor- well balanced 

Chelan

• Also known as “black cherries” 
•  mild taste with a sweet flavor 
• Deep mahogany color

Coral Champagne

• Shiny, dark flesh and deep coral exterior 
• Very sweet flavor with low-acid 

Coral

• Glossy dark flesh 
• Very sweet flavor with low acid, similar to Bing 

Darksweet

• Bright red to deep mahogany when ripe 
• Intensely sweet and vibrant flavor 
• Great for all applications- fresh (out of hand or in salads), cooking, juicing and freezing

Lapin

• Crossbreed between Vans and Stella varieties 
• Up to 1” in size 
• Hardy, deep red in color 
• Sweet and flavorful 

Rainier

• Yellow inside and out with red blush 
• Sweet, almost candied flavor 
• Named after Washinton’s largest peak, Mount Rainer 
• Cooking changes the gorgeous color, best for eating fresh or adding to a fancy fruit salad 
• Fun Fact: There is a National Rainier Cherry Day on the peak of the Rainier cherry harvest. 

Royal Lynn

• Medium to large in size 
• Mahogany red cherry 
• Sweet, rich flavor 
• Extremely firm texture, crack resistant 

Royal Tioga

• Dark red skin 
• Very firm texture 
• Good, balanced flavor 

Santina

• Cross between Summit and Stella varieties 
• Somewhat flattened heart shape 
• Reddish-black exterior 
• Firm and moderately sweet