Update from the Orchard (June 10th)

Attention Orondo Ruby fans everywhere - harvest 2015 is upon us! After the Wenatchee Valley delivered near-perfect cherry growing weather, the first of the Orondo Rubies are being picked with care and packed for you to enjoy. From the tree to the table is typically only four or five days which means your Orondo Rubies are super fresh, naturally sweet and undeniably juicy! Keep an eye out for Orondo Ruby cherries in your local grocery store. Let's hear it for cherry season! 

Orchard Photos, June 2015

North Central Washington has been warm and sunny - perfect growing conditions for the Orondo Ruby! As you can see from a recent excursion in our Orondo orchard, the cherries are looking great. Our dreams of yummy cherries will soon be a reality with the 2015 harvest just around the corner!

What makes the Orondo Ruby so special?

The flavor, the texture...and more! Since 2011, we've worked with WSU-TFREC who have studied the quality attributes of the Orondo Ruby, Bing and Rainier cherry varieties. And, we're excited to share the results!

• MORE FLAVOR: Orondo Ruby has on average 19% higher soluble solids than Rainiers.
• EVEN MORE FLAVOR: Titratable acidity for the Orondo Ruby is 47% to 58% higher than Rainiers and approximately the same as Bings.
• CRISPIER BITE: Orondo Ruby is 9% to 21% firmer than Bings and 12% to 25% firmer than Rainiers.
• LESS VISIBLE MARKINGS: Orondo Ruby has on average 2.2 times higher blush coverage than Rainiers.
• BETTER SHELF LIFE: Orondo Ruby has 59% and 56% fewer cracks and 61% and 79% less severe skin marking than Bings and Rainiers, respectively, after packing and storage.

We love how the Orondo Ruby compares. What do you think? What do you notice when you bite into a fresh Orondo Ruby?

UPDATE FROM THE ORCHARD (MAY)

With the hard work of our pollinating bees and the beauty of this spring’s bloom a thing of the past, we’re now keeping a close eye on the growth of our Orondo Ruby cherries. With each passing day, we’re getting closer to harvest, which means we’re also getting busier.

At this point, mother nature is calling the shots. While the famous Wenatchee Valley sunshine has been in abundance, we’re keeping a close eye on things in the orchard. Soon we’ll be laying down a reflective material to help radiate heat and sunshine onto the cherries. This process helps the cherries grow and develop the beautiful red color that you’ve come to love about our Orondo Rubies. While it’s still a little early to say, we’re estimating that harvest will begin in mid-June.

Each year, our hard work is rewarded by growing and delivering the most colorful and delicious cherries to you - our loyal fans. Cheers to another great summer of delicious Orondo Ruby cherries! They’re coming soon!

Update from the Orchard, April

Spring has arrived in the Wenatchee Valley and with the explosion of beautiful white blossoms in our orchards, it's safe to say Orondo Ruby cherry harvest is around the corner. This year's bloom came early, due to an unseasonably mild winter and as a result, we're expecting an early June harvest. 

While we are excited about Orondo Ruby cherries coming early this year, we first must let the bees do their work. Our bees have been busy pollinating our orchards in Wenatchee and Orondo - one of the most important tasks in orchard country. 

Spring time is an amazing time of year. With the local hills filled with wildflowers and the orchards exploding with beautiful spring blossoms, we're ready for cherry season. Cheers to all things spring and the countdown to the season's first Orondo Ruby cherries!