The 2023 Cherry Harvest Is Finally Here!
Cherry Harvest in the Yakima Valley
As white spring blossoms give way to ruby red cherries, we find ourselves in the thick of our favorite season: cherry harvest! The 2023 season is already proving to be unique, with a record breaking late start yet predicted bountiful harvest.
The delay in the harvest is due to a colder spring, which slowed the blooming of buds on the trees. Usually kicking off in late May or early June, this year's cherry harvest is just now getting started in mid-June.
In Washington, cherries are the earliest harvested fruit, beating out apples and wine grapes. The cherries' early ripening schedule makes sweet cherries particularly sensitive to the whims of spring weather. After the crucial pollination phase - a delicate process reliant on weather that's warm enough to stir bees into action - the cherry buds need a steady run of warm spring days.
Luckily, the cherry bloom this year has been phenomenal, with trees bursting into full bloom. Growers are expected to harvest more Northwest sweet cherries in 2023 than they did last year, according to a first-round estimate from Northwest Cherry Growers.
Chukar’s Central Location in Washington’s Fruit Lands
Headquartered in the Yakima Valley fruit lands, our facility is in a prime position to source premium fruit year after year. Our facility receives tree-ripened cherries, often grown just miles down the road, and immediately sorts, washes, de-stems, pits, and dries them.
In fact, did you know that Chukar Cherries annually processes over 200 tons of fresh cherries yielding over 100,000 pounds of naturally dried cherries?
After being washed and dried, our experienced team transforms the cherries into naturally dried cherries, cherry jars, delicious year ‘round cherry & nut snacks, and chocolate covered cherries.
Using local cherries that have been left to ripen on the branch a little longer than normal is a large factor in why our cherries taste so delicious, even with no sugar added. Transporting the cherries from farm to facility keeps the cherries fresh and firm, with nutrients and natural sugars intact, as they head into processing.
A Quick History of Washington's Fruit Lands
Eastern Washington has volcanic soil, suitable temperatures, a labor pool to harvest crops, and ample clean water. Once an arid desert, the area is now fertile farmland thanks to the extensive Roza Irrigation System.
This 45,000-acre irrigation project, realized over decades by the US Reclamation Service and local collaborators, is refreshed by melted snowpack runoff from neighboring mountains. The runoff is then channeled through the Yakima River and its tributaries. The majestic Columbia River also flows parallel to the Yakima Valley, some 40-60 miles to the south.
If you come to visit us in Prosser, you'll see the glorious Yakima River running right through the town, which serves as a beautiful reminder of what sustains us as a company and community.
