Wenatchee, WA: Skylar Rae® cherries are back! Harvest is in full swing, bringing the highly anticipated sweet, crunchy, bi-colored cherries to shelves for a profitable short season.
Sarah Barkley, Domestic Sales at CMI Orchards, confirms the hype is real, with demand skyrocketing each year as more consumers discover “The Sweetest Cherry You’ll Ever Eat™”. “Skylar Rae® cherries are extra special, from their remarkable origin story to their unique flavor and crunch,” says Barkley. “Bursting with super sweet flavor and juice, and delivering a satisfying texture, they’re far superior to any other cherry.”
Discovered in 2004 by the Toftness family, Skylar Rae® cherries emerged from a unique tree found after following a rainbow. This discovery, following the loss of their infant daughter, felt like a gift from nature, honoring her memory. Troy Toftness, co-owner of the Skylar Rae® brand and Tip Top cherry variety, notes the skyrocketing popularity and increasing volume of these striking cherries. Grown by selected growers in the US, Chile, New Zealand, and Australia, Skylar Rae® cherries are set for further expansion, making them a must-have for retailers worldwide.
Toftness explains their priority is always flavor; allowing the fruit to ripen on the tree until perfect is paramount. “Skylar Rae® cherries sometimes develop a unique bronzing, giving the appearance of a sun-kissed tan,” he says. “This ‘caramel glow’ is a hallmark of their supreme sweetness, indicating the cherries have absorbed ample sunshine—a sure sign of the sweetest cherries on the tree.” Toftness adds that they produced a short video explaining the caramel glow feature, which includes visual examples of how to hunt down the extra sweet ones.
Barkley adds that while a January cold snap initially impacted bud development for higher elevation orchards, the mild winter and consistently warm temperatures that followed delivered an exceptional bloom, resulting in Skylar Rae® cherries of top-notch quality.
“Cherries inspire excitement year after year, coveted for their limited availability and summer seasonality,” she explains, “and Skylar Rae are only around for a few short weeks each year—so get them while supplies last!”
About CMI Orchards:
CMI Orchards is one of Washington State’s largest growers, shippers and packers of premium quality conventional and organic apples, pears, and cherries. Based in Wenatchee, WA, CMI Orchards delivers outstanding fruit across the U.S.A. and exports to over 60 countries worldwide.
