2.5 pounds of Fresh Rainier Cherries (sweet, light cherries)
For delivery in June, 2012

* PRICE INCLUDES EXPEDITED SHIPPING* (We will remove any shipping charges if they appear on the final order.)

PLEASE NOTE - THESE LIGHT-SKINNED, SWEET CHERRIES WILL BE SHIPPED WITHIN 24 to 48 HOURS OF BEING PICKED. WE ESTIMATE THAT THE RAINIERS WILL SHIP THE LAST WEEK OF JUNE, 2012. THIS IS A SEASONAL ITEM AVAILABLE BY PRE-ORDER ONLY. PLACE YOUR ORDER BY 5 PM PST Saturday, JUNE 25, 2012. SUPPLIES LIMITED.

Finally! Customers have been asking us about Fresh, Tree-ripened Rainier Cherries for years. And now, we are happy to say, we have some. We traveled out to Eastern Washington late in June, 2009 to see the cherries on the trees, and they looked AMAZING. Huge, beautiful, and already delicious -- even though they are still 5-10 days from harvest. These are the biggest cherries we have ever seen -- already measuring at 8-1/2 -- and the scale only goes to 8. (In this case, the lower the number, the bigger the cherries.)

about Rainier Cherries:
The Rainier Cherry is the sweetest of all the sweet cherries. With its characteristic cream-colored flesh, Rainier Cherry farmers will not pick them until the sugar brix (a measure of how sweet the cherry is) reach 17. But, some wait until they reach 20 brix. That is one of the reason they are so memorable -- and addictive.

The Rainier is a cross between a Bing and a Van -- two sweet-red varieties. Created by Harold Fogle in 1952, who, at the time, directed the cherry breeding program at the Washington State University. And, boy, are we happy that Harold did what he did.

How lucky are we to be introduced to the farming family that manages this very special orchard of Rainier Cherries? Huge -- off the scale really. Usually all sent overseas to the highest bidder. But, now available to us and our customers. This year, only a small amount is available. So order now - before they sell out.

about Stennes Family Orchards:
The Stennes family has been growing premium certified organic fruit in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain range in Washington State for over 115 years. The healthy soils, clean air and pure water in the Methow and Okanogan valleys have been the Stennes family growing ground since 1894, when Britanus Stennes, a Norwegian immigrant, settled in Washington State after a long and demanding journey by ship, wagon and horseback from his home country.

Britanus homesteaded 160 acres of fertile soil in the flat river bottoms and steep mountainsides of the Methow Valley. Soon after settling, Britanus planted apple trees on his land. That was the beginning of a multi-generational family fruit business. Britanus expanded and operated the orchard until the mid-1930’s, when his oldest son, Kermit, assumed the responsibilities for the fruit orchards. Kermit’s son, Keith, began managing the family fruit business in 1968, and has been responsible for the most recent expansion - including expanding the fruit varieties to include plums, pluots, and cherries - as well as apples.

Important Shipping Information:
* Please plan to be available on delivery day, so that your cherries don't have to sit outside in hot weather. A UPS notification will be emailed to billing email address the day the cherries are shipped. Additionally, we try to keep the cherry page updated with the latest shipping information.

* Price including shipping within the Continental US only. Call us (800.596.0885) is you need to know what the additional shipping charges are to Alaska or Hawaii. We are unable to ship fresh fruit to international destinations.

* If your order includes both fresh cherries and other items, the cherries will ship separately and you will be charged our regular ground or expedited shipping for the non-perishable items.

* Our cherries are ripe and ready to eat right out of their box. However, we recommend removing the plastic bag of cherries from their foil liner, and chilling the fruit in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before eating. This helps them crisp up after their journey. The cherries will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. It's also always a good idea to wash all fruit before eating it.

For Gift Orders:
We are happy to email a Fruit Certificate to the gift-giver - which can then be printed or passed along. We are also able to send out a physical Fruit Certificate, if needed. Fruit Certificates are sent via priority mail within one business day of ordering. If you need a certificate faster than that, please let us know and we will see what we can do.