Savor the Season: Pack Fresh Northwest Sweet Cherries for Back-to-School Snacks
August 12, 2025 | 4 min to read
As the sweet cherry season in Northwest Washington ends, an abundant crop offers nutritious options for back-to-school snacks. Northwest sweet cherries are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them a smart choice for health-conscious families. With longer availability this year, shoppers can enjoy and preserve these cherries through various recipes, including Low Sugar Cherry Jam and Cherry BBQ Chicken. Northwest Cherry Growers continue to promote the benefits of this superfruit, comprising over 70% of fresh cherries in stores nationally.
Stock up through end of summer, preserve for year-round health benefits
YAKIMA, Wash. — Northwest-grown sweet cherry season is drawing to a close in September. This season yielded an abundance of the fresh superfruit, which means Northwest sweet cherries are available to send kids back-to-school with a smart snack choice. Packed with nutrients, fiber and flavor, sweet cherries are a perfect treat for school lunches and grab-and-go after-school snacks.
“We saw an outstanding Northwest sweet cherry crop, as more temperate conditions produced exceptionally high-quality, flavorful fruit.” said Karley Lange, director of domestic promotions of Northwest Cherry Growers. “Our normally short sweet cherry season is longer this year, giving shoppers more time to stock up, enjoy and preserve them.”
Northwest sweet cherries contain polyphenols, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds, which boast anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. One cup of the fruit provides approximately 12% of the recommended daily value intake of vitamin C, boosting immune systems. They also have a lower glycemic index than almost any other fruit, making Northwest sweet cherries a smart and satisfying snack.
Cherry Recipes to End the Season
The flavor and health benefits of Northwest sweet cherries can be tapped throughout the year, whether enjoying them fresh or preserved (frozen, dried, sauced or even pickled!). Northwest Cherry Growers develops and shares a robust catalog of recipes, offering inspiration for incorporating cherries on every plate, savory or sweet, during and beyond fresh cherry season.
Preserved cherries offer year-round enjoyment in these recipes:
Cherries make ordinary dishes extraordinary in these preparations:
- Dried Cherry Overnight Oats
- Cherry BBQ Chicken
- Steak and Arugula Salad with Cherry and Almonds
- Dried Cherry Quinoa Salad
Sweet Northwest cherries are harvested from 2,200 growers across five states and account for more than 70% of the fresh cherries found in stores nationwide. More health information and recipes are at nwcherries.com/.
About Northwest Cherry Growers
Founded in 1947, Northwest Cherry Growers is a growers’ organization founded solely by self-imposed fruit assessments used to increase awareness and consumption of regionally grown stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development and research of cherries from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana Orchards.