Growing premium fresh cherries since 1918
Pop an Olmstead Orchards sweet cherry in your mouth and you will never want to eat any other! Washington state produces the most delicious cherries in the world and the Olmstead family is leading the way in the Yakima Valley. Our cherries are bigger, juicier, and sweeter than any you will find at your local market or online. We grow three different varieties: Bings, Rainiers, and Vans. These cherries have a very limited season and are harvested in June and early July in our orchards. While the bulk of our sales are large-volume wholesale, you can personally enjoy these cherries delivered to your door in our custom gift boxes. Preorder today for our 2000 season.
CHERRY SIZING » Cherries are measured with a numerical value called a "row." The smaller number, the larger the cherry.
The Bing cherry is the leading commercial sweet cherry in North America and almost half of our cherry acreage is planted in Bings.
Bings are one of the largest and firmest varieties, with a deep, mahogany red color when ripe. The Bing has an intensely sweet, vibrant flavor with 17% to 20% sugar. Bings ripen in mid- to late-June in the Yakima Valley.
More than half of our cherry acreage is planted in Rainiers. The Rainier cherry, discovered at WSU Extension within 10 miles of our farm, it is is a cross between two red cherries: Bing and Van. The cherry was released for the marketplace in 1960, but has only become more popular in the last 20 years.
Rainiers are distinctive and superior in appearance and taste, making them a premium niche sweet cherry. They are recognizable by their exceptionally large size and their golden color with pink blush. Rainiers are finely textured with firm, clear flesh and colorless juice. They offer consumers a very sweet, delicate flavor at 18% to 23% sugar. Rainiers ripen slightly later than Bings - late June and early July in the Yakima Valley.
Our Van trees are mixed in among our Bing trees. They were planted as pollinizers, and are mainly picked without stems for the cannery.
The Van is a late-season cherry, appreciated for its refreshingly sweet taste and deep red color. It is recognizable by its heart shape and short stem. Vans ripen the same time as Bings - mid to late June in our area.
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