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    Home Β» When are Fruits & Vegetables in Season? Β» When Does Cherry Season Begin (and End)?

    When Does Cherry Season Begin (and End)?

    Published: Apr 18, 2020 Β· Modified: Apr 28, 2022 by Eric Samuelson

    Learn all about when fresh cherries are in season. We take a look how the season progresses from south in California to north in Washington. We also have a list of when cherries are in season in other state.

    Red cherries hanging in bunches in a tree with green leaves.

    This post includesΒ affiliateΒ links. This means that atΒ noΒ additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. These are products and services I recommend because I use or trust them. Cookies will be used to track theΒ affiliateΒ links you click.

    There are some fruits that never disappear from store shelves.

    Year round you can find apples, oranges, peaches, bananas, etc. However that cannot be said for cherries.

    Cherries are only available for a limited time during the year. So if you want to enjoy some, it's important to know when they are in season.

    To give you a better understanding of how the season unfolds, I will talk about how one company, Stemilt, extends the season. Stemilt is located in Washington, but they work with farms all the way down to southern California.

    Jump to:
    • πŸ„ California Cherries
    • 🌸 Washington Cherries
    • 🚚 How Long From Tree to Store?
    • ⛰️ Peak of the Season
    • ℹ️nfographic
    • πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Season by State
    • πŸ†• Cherry + Plum
    • πŸ’ Resources
    A gray bucket full of freshly picked red cherries.

    πŸ„ California Cherries

    The harvest begins in southern California, 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 Stockton/Modesto area.

    🌸 Washington Cherries

    By early June, the harvest comes to an end in California. At this time, the cherries in Washington will be ready. They start in the Pasco/Mattawa area and move north to Chelan, Okanagan, and Wenatchee. They are also able to harvest cherries in higher elevation all the way into late August.

    RELATED - Read more about high elevation cherries in my post - Are Cherries Out of Season?

    They harvest cherries as high as 3,500 feet. So by moving from south to north, Stemilt is able to harvest cherries from late April to late August.

    Now, the difficult thing with cherries is that they are very perishable. This is why by September, cherries will have pretty much disappeared from stores until the next year.

    Light cherries with red blush hanging in trees.

    🚚 How Long From Tree to Store?

    The next question is: how long from harvest until the cherries hit the supermarkets?

    Since they are perishable, Stemilt aims to get their cherries from the farm to the truck within a day or two. And then it takes anywhere from 1-2 days for close by locations to up to 5-7 days for the cherries to make it the east coast. They use a cold chain process to keep the cherries as fresh as possible.

    ⛰️ Peak of the Season

    When does cherry season peak? That would be in summer - early summer to be exact.

    Even though the harvest last for 4 months, there are peaks in the season. The California cherries peak at the end of May/beginning of June. Prices tend to be higher for the California cherries. The Washington cherries peak in early July.

    RELATED - Learn more from my post - When Will The Prices of Cherries Get Cheaper?

    There are several different varieties of cherries that Stemilt grows. They can be broken into dark/sweet cherries and Rainer cherries. There are several varieties of dark cherries but it's up to the grocery whether they advertise the different varieties - they rarely do.

    Most stores I have encountered just sell them as sweet cherries with the exception of the Bing cherries. The differences between these cherries are subtle. The variations are usually in color, firmness, the sugar to acid ratio.

    RELATED - Read about When Rainier Cherries are in Season

    ℹ️nfographic

    Here is handy, downloadable, and shareable graphic on the progress of cherry season.

    An infographic that goes through the cherry season from start to finish.

    πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Season by State

    While the Pacific states are the nation's biggest cherries growers, other areas of the country also grow cherries. In fact, pretty much all the sour or pie cherries grown in the US commercially are grown in Michigan.

    Sour cherries are typically ready around the fourth of July and the harvest can last until the end of the month. Traverse City, Michigan is host to an annual National Cherry Festival.

    Here is a list by states when cherries are approximately in season

    Southern Michiganmid June - late July
    Northern Michigan (Traverse)early July - late August
    Oregonearly June - late August
    Californiaearly May - mid June
    Washingtonearly June - late August
    Ohiomid June - late July
    Idahomid June - late July
    Virginialate May - mid July
    New Yorkmid June - late July
    Pennsylvaniamid June - late July
    Marylandmid June - late July
    Mainemid July - mid August
    New Jerseymid June - mid July
    Iowalate June - mid July
    Indianamid June - late July
    Illinoismid June - late July
    Wisconsinmid July to mid August
    UtahJune
    Cherry and plum hybrid sitting on a white background. They are red in color with spots.

    πŸ†• Cherry + Plum

    Something I have discovered in recent years is that cherries and plums are compatible, so much they have crossed the two fruits, creating a cherry-plum hybrid. This fruit is a small plum with a smaller pit than a normal plum. It tastes more like a plum. They are really good.

    Each year I see more and more of them in grocery stores, so they are becoming easier to find.

    Three different types of cherries from dark to light red & yellow to red in small baskets on a table.

    πŸ’ Resources

    Do you need a cherry pitter to enjoy cherries? Not necessarily. Part of the fun is spitting the pits right.

    However if you are going to cook with cherries or freeze a lot of cherries, that is when I think it would make your life easier to get one. I have created a handy guide to help select the best cherry pitter.

    • If you are going to buy a cherry pitter, I recommend getting one than will pit more than one cherry at a time with the ability to pit olives as well. I recommend trying the Geson Cherry Pitter, which is under $15.

    Tart cherries can be hard to find fresh. I am lucky because my home state of Michigan is the number 1 tart cherry grower in the United States. Tart cherry season runs from early July to early August. You can get dried cherries year round.

    • You can buy a big box of dried cherries that are from Michigan. They are great for salads and putting in baked goods.
    • Without a doubt my favorite dried cherries are Cherry Jubliee mix from Cherry Bay Orchards. It is a mix of Montmorency cherries, Balaton cherries, and Light Sweet cherries. This is what I buy when I am missing fresh cherries. I love experiencing the different flavors of cherries in a single bag.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ally

      April 02, 2012 at 10:34 am

      Thanks for the article and explanation. It makes complete sense that the season varies in different parts of the country/world......it's just that it didn't dawn on me until I read this!

    2. admin

      April 02, 2012 at 11:46 am

      I am glad you liked it and found it informative.

    3. Guy

      June 01, 2012 at 9:17 pm

      Hee hee, I live in Modesto and there is a Cherry Tree in my backyard. πŸ˜›

    4. janice funderburk

      April 09, 2015 at 7:52 pm

      Now it's clear to me, I never knew for sure when and cherries were only available for such a short period. Thank you for explaining it. I love cherries so, I just want them all year.

    5. Eric Samuelson

      April 11, 2015 at 7:50 am

      I am glad you found this post informative. Cherries aren't like apples or oranges that can be keep in cold storage, they just don't last. Enjoy them when they come into season, which should be in about 6 weeks or so from now.

    6. pat

      May 02, 2015 at 11:07 pm

      I love cherries and the information I read on when they are in season and when I can purchase them has been very helpful.

    7. Brian Patrick May

      May 20, 2015 at 6:07 pm

      I would like to know how much longer will it be before the dark cherries from washington will be arriving in grocery stores in North Carolina

    8. Eric Samuelson

      May 20, 2015 at 9:43 pm

      I heard the crop was running 2 weeks early this year, so I would expect to see them no later than mid June.

    9. Teddy Mendez

      February 23, 2016 at 12:34 am

      This my favorite fruit since I was a child in NYC. I move over to Puerto Rico and you never find them here. And with luck on august only and very, very expensive. I pay for it because is my fruit and I enjoy it. I fly to Orlando,Fl and buy them in large quantity

      Regards Teddy

    10. barb koca

      June 08, 2016 at 9:37 am

      i am a Cherry adict. So much so, that i freeze the, and in off season, i take several and allow them to thaw just slightly. Surprisingly although they dont compete with fresh, they are still a welcome treat durring the off season. i buy in bulk waiting for lowest price to freeze, but this year the prices have gone up instead of down to date.

    11. Anne Cunliffe.

      September 09, 2016 at 2:09 pm

      I have read an article in a magazine and it said instead of snacking at night to have afew cherries you will have a really good nights sleep is this true since I have read this I. have searched every supermarket to bye some so I am glad to have read your review on when you can buy them is what they say true

    12. Edeline Busu

      July 20, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      Where in or around Birmingham can I go and pick cherries this season?

    13. Eric Samuelson

      July 20, 2020 at 9:03 pm

      Which Birmingham are you referring to?

    14. James E Bermingham

      April 26, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      With regards to tart cherries - Where can I find dried tart cherries with NO added sweetener's (I like them tart)?

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    Hi! I'm Eric : Father of 4, living just south of Ann Arbor, MI. I'm a reformed picky eater finding a new way to not conform. Eating what's in season is my jam (I also make it!)

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