The Secret Behind Chukar's No Sugar Added Cherries

When young mother and new orchard owner Pam Montgomery set out to dry cherries in her kitchen 30 years ago, her goal was clear: to dehydrate cherries without the use of added sugar, sulfites, or oil.

Pam's intention was to make simple dried snacks that she would feel good about feeding her children. Little did she know that her no-sugar-added cherries would become the cornerstone of her brand one day!

Indeed not using sugar is one of the main differentiators between Chukar and other dried cherries that you see at the grocery store. And if you did not realize that dried cherries often contain sugar, we encourage you to take a look at any nutrition label. 

Dried fruits, especially cherries and cranberries, are pumped full of sugar for two main purposes: it makes the end product tastes sweeter and also adds extra weight, which means that manufacturers can sell more product while using less cherries. While the practice of adding sugar makes sense financially as a cherry processor, it does not align with Pam's vision or moral compass.

Ditto for added oil, which adds artificial juiceness, gut-busting but palate pleasing saturated fat, and extra weight to the finished product.

Today, we continue to slow dry cherries using time- and labor-intensive air drying tunnels, like you see above.

The secret to our cherries' natural sweetness, a sweetness that others must impart artificially, is using local cherries picked at peak ripeness. When cherries are ripe, they are packed full of natural sweetness. The cherries we dry are picked at peak ripeness or even slightly past it, then delievered immediately to our production facility to be cleaned, sorted, and dried.

Because Chukar is located in the middle of cherry agricultural lands, we do not have to truck prematurely picked fruit from California or Mexico. Instead our freshly picked cherries are plucked from the branch and delivered just miles from where they are grown. This allows us to take advantage of natural sugars and flavors that can only be found in ripe cherries. 

Our no-sugar-added cherries are popular with diabetics, gout sufferers, and anyone who is passionate about heart health and general health. We encourage you to try our dried cherries, as we believe they are the best-tasting snack that Mother Nature has to offer!