WENATCHEE, WA - Cherries always drive value for retailers during the summer, and the return of Skylar Rae® cherries is no exception. With harvest underway, this bi-colored cherry is coming back to the shelf—and CMI Orchards explains the importance of shopper demand for this variety.

“Skylar Rae cherries are special in so many ways,” said Sarah Barkley, who is in charge of Domestic Sales at CMI. “From their super sweet flavor and satisfying bite, to the remarkable story of their discovery, they’re really superstars on the shelves.”

The hype around the fruit, as Barkley explains, is well-deserved, as both the color and the bite of the fruit are tantalizing to shoppers.

A press release outlined the current harvest, noting that while orchards contended with a ‘flash bloom’—where all the flowers opened up and started their race for pollination at the same time—Barkley explained that the near-perfect growing conditions in the Pacific Northwest produced Skylar Rae cherries of good condition.

“Our mission when growing Skylar Rae is to always put flavor first, which means letting the fruit ripen on the tree until it’s absolutely perfect. This lets the cherries soak up as much sunshine as possible and gives them the time they need to develop that signature Skylar Rae flavor,” remarks Troy Toftness, Co-Owner of the Skylar Rae brand and Founder of Tip Top Orchards. “This also means sometimes you get a really nice caramel glow on the cherries, which is a great indicator of the supreme sweetness of the fruit.”

These cherries continue to grow in popularity and volume, as programs develop in the United States, Chile, and Australia.

ANUK will keep you in the loop on the latest opportunities for summer retail growth, so stay tuned!

CMI Orchards