I am always excited to try the first of any fruit of the season. The first locally grown strawberries, that first peach variety to ripen, and of course the first fresh cherries to arrive in the marketplace. The Brooks cherry is the first cherry variety to ripen, weeks before the popular Bing. I recently saw pictures on facebook of Stemilt growers packing their Brooks cherries for shipment. They begin their cherry harvest in Bakersfield, California.
The Brooks cherry has had a major effect on the cherry industry. It is more heat resistant than other varieties of cherries. So it is able to grow further south. It was was developed by the University of California in 1988. It is a cross between a Rainier cherry and a Burlat cherry. It has really help increase California’s presence in the fresh cherry market.
My Experience with this Cherry (Rating Scale 1-10)
Tartness : 7
Cherry Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 7
Overall Feeling: It’s a good cherry. A nice way to start the season. It has a nice balance of sweet and tart. For those who like a more tart out of hand eating cherry, Brooks is a good choice. I do think that better tasting cherries come later in the season, but I have no problem eating Brooks cherries.
[…] in Bakersfield. This usually begins around the end of April. The earliest cherry variety is the Brooks cherry, which is a cross between a Rainier and a Bing. From there, the harvest moves north to the […]