WENATCHEE, WA – Cherry season is so close we can practically taste it, and Stemilt Growers is announcing that it has exciting offerings in the works throughout California.
The company can trace its roots in the region back as far as 1918, when Anthony, James and Phillip Chinchiolo moved to the Golden State in hopes of growing and marketing their own cherries.
The Chinchiolo Fruit Company was one of the first cherry grower and shippers in California. In the 1920s, Chinchiolo expanded quickly throughout the state, building its own growing operations and assisting other growers in marketing and shipping their fruit. Throughout its almost 90-year history Chinchiolo Fruit Co. broke into the Japanese market and helped to open the region to California cherry exporters.
In 2003, Chinchiolo Fruit Co. was acquired by Stemilt Growers, becoming Chinchiolo Stemilt California (CSC), and has since been operated by the family-owned company based in Wenatchee, Washington.
The acquisition allowed Stemilt to supply cherries continuously from May to September, transitioning growing up the Pacific coast. In California, Stemilt has found success in multiple districts. Throughout three different growing areas in the state—South District, Mid-District, and Late District—Stemilt’s grows a number of varieties, including the traditional Bing, Rainier, and Lapins.
“Geographic diversity allows us to harvest daily for a continuous supply from California, which keeps cherry freshness and quality high,” noted Erick Stonebarger, General Manager of CSC, in a Stemilt press release. “Our long cherry season at Stemilt wouldn’t be possible without focusing on quality each and every day, and growing cherries with ‘world famous’ qualities is exactly what we strive for here in California.”
And always looking at new varieties and testing their abilities to perform in different locations, the company is placing a big focus on up-and-coming offerings: Coral Champagne cherries and a number of Royal varieties.
The company noted, in its press release, that it is especially excited about the potential of its cherries in the historic Patterson district. Located in central California, Patterson is quickly becoming a leading district for the Coral Champagne variety.
The variety, originally released in the early 1990s, is a low-acid, exceptionally sweet, large-sized cherry. The Coral has quickly become the second highest produced cherry variety in the state of California (following the Bing variety), and thrives in the desert-like, breezy climate of the Patterson district.
“At Stemilt, we constantly work to align the right variety with the right climate so that it can thrive and produce the dessert flavors shoppers want in cherries,” said Stonebarger. “We’ve been very happy with how Coral grows in Patterson, and all signs point to an exceptional crop this year from this locale.”
The Patterson District is only a short drive from Stemilt’s Stockton, California packing facility which allows for quick hydrocooling and packing of cherries, a must when it comes to maintaining a tight cold chain and high qualities.
In recent years, Stemilt has invested significantly in the packing side of its California operations. The company uses jet coolers to bring cherries to the ideal temperature quickly prior to shipment and operates a state-of-the-art optic sizing and defect sorting packing line that allows it to efficiently and consistently pack high-quality cherries. Recent line enhancements have allowed for increased clamshell and bag capacity, as well.
Stemilt’s emphasis on growing new varieties in heritage sites promises to pay off in extraordinary quality fruit as California enters its cherry season.
“Our goal is to create a memorable and dessert eating experience for shoppers,” said Stonebarger. “In cherries, that means doing a lot of little things right, including farming the right fruit in the right spot, harvesting it at optimal timing, and packing quickly and with care. Stemilt’s unique position in two cherry growing states not only allows for a long cherry season, but also gives us great resources to focus on quality and flavor first and foremost.”
For more on Stemilt’s offerings as cherry season progresses, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
