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Villa del Sol Sweet Cherry Farms
Frequently Asked Questions
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1. When is the
cherry season?
Although each season is unique,
Leona Valley cherries are generally available from the end of
May through early July--if we are lucky. Cherry
picking season is a very short season and the trees only produce
once per year.
2. What are
some of the nutritional benefits of cherries?
A. Fat-free
B. Sodium-free
C. Cholesterol-free
D. A good source of fiber
E. A good source of Vitamin C.
3. How do I
best store cherries?
Refrigerate your cherries
immediately after purchase. Cherries can be kept fresh in the
refrigerator for several days. Avoid placing cherries in the sun
or warm areas, they may go limp quickly. Also, do not store
cherries in plastic bags as this will reduce their shelf life.
4. How do I
select cherries?
Choose firm,
plump, shiny cherries with green stems. Generally the
darker the coloring, the riper the cherry. Keep Leona Valley cherries
refrigerated until consuming.
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5. What types of cherries does Villa del Sol
have?
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In the spring of 2001, we planted almost 4000 bare
root sweet cherry trees--five varieties: Bing, Rainier, Brooks and Tulare, on the Mahaleb rootstock. We did a lot of research in order to
try to do everything right. First we had the soil tested
to determine what soil amendments it needed. The tests
determined that we needed 21 tons of nitrogen (steer
manure) and 3 tons of gypsum. After the nutrients were
spread throughout the field, we "slip plowed" the entire
field (a process of turning the soil down to a depth of
about five feet) to give the roots ease in growing. |
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Brooks
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Brooks
Large, uniform, oblate, dark red
fruit. Flesh is firm and crisp with variable shades of red
and pink. The stone is nearly free. Flavor is superior to
Early Burlat and is sweet, rich, well-balanced, and
exceptional for early season maturity.
Color: Skin - dark red, Flesh - red and pink
Flavor/Texture: Sweet, rich and well-balanced. |
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Bing
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Bing
The
leading commercial sweet cherry in North America. Fruit is
firm, juicy and a deep, mahogany red when ripe.
Exceptionally large fruit of finest quality, with an
intensely sweet, vibrant flavor. Bing has become the
standard to which other varieties are compared.
Color: Skin- Mahogany, Flesh- Mahogany
Flavor/Texture: Sweet, rich flavor (17-19% fruit sugar) Firm |
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Rainier
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Rainier
A very attractive, exceptionally large, yellow cherry with a
bright red blush. Rainier has a distinctive and superior
appearance among sweet cherry varieties. Delicately flavored
with extraordinary sugar levels, the flesh is pure yellow,
very firm and finely textured. A premium niche variety that
ripens about the same time as the Bing.
Color:
Skin - Golden with pink/red blush, Flesh- clear-colored
Flavor: Very sweet, delicate flavor (17-23% fruit sugar)
finely textured
Gary's
Tip
Don't be put off if Rainer cherries have some
skin discoloration in the form of scuffing or brown spots.
That's often a sign of high sugar content so these cherries
are generally sweeter. |
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6. How are sweet cherries sized?
Cherry sizes are described in "rows," dating
back to when the industry place-packed the top layer in the
box. A tight fit of ten cherries across the narrow face of
the lug become "10 row" cherries. |
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9 ROW
75/64 inch
29.8 mm |
9.5 ROW
71/64 inch
28.2 mm |
10 ROW
67/64 inch
26.6 mm |
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10.5 ROW
64/64 inch
25.4 mm |
11 ROW
61/64 inch
24.2 mm |
11.5 ROW
57/64 inch
22.6 mm |
12 ROW
54/64 inch
21.4 mm |
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Sweet cherry sizes
per Federal Marketing Order #923 |
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