Cherries are part of the 'Rosaceae' family, and has cousins including apricots, almonds, peaches and plums. Sweet cherry varieties include Rainiers, Van cherry, Chelan, Lapin, Sweetheart, Skeena, Staccato, Christalina and Bing cherries.
They are excellent for eating fresh. Rainier's are also known as the white cherry because of the flesh color and the skin is yellowish red blush when they are ripe.
Rainier cherry trees usually blossom around the end of April, but like all other fruit, it depends on the weather.
Van cherries are a medium size fruit, slightly smaller than a bing, but are very firm black color, and they are oh, such a sweet cherry. Van's are usually available in the Okanagan at the end of June or early July, and like most sweet cherries, Van's are generally best eaten fresh.
These cherries are also excellent for canning, and in your favorite yummy cherry recipes like cherry cobbler!
These sweet cherries are extra large in size, slightly heart-shaped cherries with a deep maroon color, and a delicious, sweet wonderful flavor. Bings are one of the common types of cherries that you will find in grocery stores and supermarkets.
It's a good idea to store fully ripe Bing cherries in the fridge, because once they ripen, they will only last a few days. Bing cherries are preferred fresh by many people, but they are also excellent for cherry recipes such as jams, jellies and preserves, in cherry pie recipes, and desserts like a delicious cherry cobbler recipe. They are one of the most versatile types of cherries around!
Santina Cherry variety is a very sweet, average sized, black cherry.
Santina cherry is an early cherry, usually harvested in mid to late June. Santina cherries are delicious when eaten fresh. They are also very delicious in sweet cherry dessert recipes, cherry cheesecake and in a homemade cherry pie recipe!
Skeena Cherry variety is usually ripened and are harvested around the same time as the Lapin cherry, around mid July to mid August.
When mature, Skeena cherries, are large, black, and very firm, with a dark red to black skin.
The flavor is strong and of high quality, and Skeena's tend to be the cherry of choice for this ripening time. Skeena cherries are also very good eaten fresh, and delicious in dessert recipes because they are so wonderfully sweet!
he Sweetheart Cherry variety is a late cherry, with a unique taste and a firm fruit that is crunchy when picked and eaten.
Sweetheart cherries are usually available beginning in late July to the middle of August. Sweetheart's are very good in a cherry dessert, canned cherries, and sweet cherry jam. The Sweetheart cherry is also a good type of cherry to ship, so if you're looking to take cherries home with you, these keep fairly well.
The fruit is large, round and a beautiful deep ruby red color, and has a semi sweet flavor. Lambert cherries are usually available around the middle of July.
Lamberts are excellent for out-of-hand eating as well as cooking and baking. Thinking about a rich chocolate cherry cake for your next summer dessert? Lamberts are an excellent choice!
Lapin Cherry is a variety of sweet cherries characterized by dark ruby skin, deep red flesh, and are a very large size. These make a delicious sweet cherry jam or jelly!
Lapin cherries are one of the most popular fruits commercially grown around the world, and this variety tends to keep better than other types of cherries. Lapins are generally ready to pick in mid July. You can get these types of cherries at local farm fresh markets all the way to mid August.
