What are Skylar Rae Cherries? - Eat Like No One Else

If you are a Rainier cherry fan, you are going to be absolutely blown away by Skylar Rae cherries! Learn all about this variety, where it comes from, and when you can find them.

📋 What's New In This Post (7/7/25) - Updated store listings.

Skylar Rae cherries in a plastic container with the tag line "the Sweetest Cherry You'll Ever Eat"

My Wife's Birthday Cherries!

Every year, my wife loves to celebrate her birthday with a picnic somewhere near the water. A tradition I’ve started is bringing along her favorite variety of cherry.

She prefers cherries that are super sweet—not tart—and firm rather than soft. About a decade ago, I discovered the Skylar Rae cherry, a variety grown in Washington. It quickly became her favorite and a sweet part of her birthday tradition.

Let me share everything I’ve learned about this amazing cherry over the last 10 years of enjoying them together.

Two Skylar Rae cherries on a counter next to a quarter to show that they are bigger than a quarter.

Skylar Rae vs. Rainiers

On the outside these cherries may look like a Rainier. They both have that yellow-red blush skin. And there is a good reason for that. Skylar Rae cherries are believed to have originated from a cross between a Rainier cherry and a Sweetheart cherry - a dark sweet cherry.

The difference from Rainiers is these 2 main things:

They have a thicker outer skin, that give them more bite - something rarely seen in the lighter colored cherries.
They also do not bruise as easy as Rainiers, which is a huge advantage

A close up picture of a pile of Skylar Rae cherries

The Story of Skylar Rae

I love when my fruit comes with a story that I can share as a I love being a storyteller. The one associated with Skylar Rae is a good, heartwarming one.

The read a story about this cherry many years ago that appeared in the FreshPalaza website. That article is no longer available but this is what I recovered years ago about the origin of this cherry.

A black package of Stemilt Skylar Rae cherries at the store.

The cherry was discovered at Tip Top Orchards in Wenatchee Heights in Washington. In 2004, Jack Toftness out in the orchard. His heart was heavy with the recent loss of a granddaughter, Skylar Rae who only lived for 49 days. It was a rainy day, but when the rain ended, a rainbow appeared. Jack decided to follow the rainbow to where he thought it would end.

When he got there he saw a tree that did not look like the others. He let the tree grow and the next year it produced cherries unlike the other ones around it.

This was the beginning of the Skylar Rae cherry named after the granddaughter who life was so fleeting but now her name lives on.

When are They in Season?

Skylar Rae cherries typically arrive in stores near the end of June right around my wife's birthday. This is a couple weeks or so into the Washington cherry season. The season lasts for about a month - so get the while you can.

Looking back at my past photos, the earliest I found them in a store was June 26th and the latest I found them was July 23rd

Skylar Rae cherries on display at a Costco store.

Where to Buy?

The last couple years I have been finding them at Costco for a good value. I have found these cherries for a wide range of prices from $3.99 a pound up to $9.99 a pound. It all depends on where you buy them and when you get them. I have gotten them on sale before and I got them once at a store that had gotten them from another market and they were at a reduced price.

I have only ever found them in plastic containers. I have seen photos online of them being sold in bags like other cherries but I have never seen that myself at a store.

Here is the short rundown of stores that I have had heard Skylar Rae cherries in the past. Check with the individual store for availability.

Whole Foods Market
Hy-Vee
Wegmans
Giant Eagle
The Fresh Market
Meijer
Heinen's
Fred Meyer
QFC
Dorothy Lane
Costco
Cutsforth's Market (Canby, OR)
Grocery Outlet
Monnette's Market (Toledo, OH)

A package of Skylar Rae cherries under the Market District packaging.

Stemilt and CMI Orchards are the main distributors of Skylar Rae cherries. I have also seen them under store brand labelling like Private Selection at Kroger stores and Market District which is Giant Eagle.