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A woman checking out at the grocery store commented to the clerk that she had mixed emotions about Rainier cherry season. On one hand, she adored the fruits, but she said that she couldn't stop eating them. The cherries are quite expensive and, even though she was a cherry lover, she was glad that the season for Rainiers lasted a brief period so that she could enjoy looking forward to them and enjoy eating them, while not breaking the bank.
Rainer cherries are one of the sweetest, most prized types of cherries there are. They are primarily grown in California and the Pacific Northwest and are distinct from other cherries in that they have a creamy, yellow flesh and a yellow and red exterior. While they are still one of the most popular eating cherries, some consumers are put off by their coloring, prefering all cherries to be a bright, deep red. They're missing out.
They are a hybrid between Bing and Van cherries, two of the sweeter varieties, and have been cultivated since 1960. The cherries are often 25% sweeter than Bings and sell for three or four times their price. The texture of the cherries is firm and slightly creamy, like that of a very fine nectarine, but much sweeter. The largest Rainiers will usually be the sweetest, but handle all cherries with care when examining them for firmness.
While the sweetness is what keeps fans coming back year after year, the reason that the cherries are so valued is that they have a short season and are notoriously difficult to grow. The cherries are usually available only during the month of July, give or take a few weeks at either end of the month depending on the weather conditions where they are grown. Extreme heat and excessive rain can easily damage the cherry crop, killing the cherries or causing them to burst. Stormy or windy weather can cause the sensitive fruits to bruise, as can ungentle handling or bumps during shipping, so sometimes the fruit in stores will look less-than-perfect.
If they don't carry the cherries in your area, you can actually find a few growers who sell them online, though dried rainier cherries are available for longer periods of time at many retailers.
While it is hard to go wrong simply eating Rainiers by the handful, you can also incorporate them into recipes:
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7-08-2006 @2:58PM Dr. Electro said... I know that I would dearly love to see the price a little lower. I understand about the difficulty of producing a viable crop, the short season and the limited area where they can be grown but I just can't afford more than a tiny taste once a year. That said, the taste is worth the wait.
The Rainiers are not available where I live yet, but I'm watching for them.
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7-08-2006 @5:26PM rainey said... Costco in the LA area has Ranier cherries right now. I just bought a box and was wondering how they'd be in ice cream (rather than as the garnish or accent).
I just actually finished making peach ice cream out of white peaches they had last week. Only I drizzled in a raspberry couli.
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7-09-2006 @4:16PM suburban misfit said... Typically, all cherries but Ranier are best for baking and adding to other foods (especially when sweeteners are added as well). Ranier are best eaten out-of-hand. Their creamier texture makes them not stand up so well to being an addition.
But boy, are they good. I just bought a half-pound today and I doubt they'll last the night.
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7-14-2006 @8:50PM Dr. Electro said... I picked up my firest Rainier cherries of the season today. Big surprise? They were the lowest price I have ever seen for Rainiers. Only $3.77 per pound. I'm glad the sound of my lip smacking and drooling doesn't come through in my typing.
Total cherry satisfaction!
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