Washington State is awash in cherries!

[Jenise]

Just have to gloat: the early and constant heat here has created a bumper crop of cherries. I paid $1.98/lb for Raniers yesterday and .98 for bings last weekend. Indian tribes are selling them on street corners for $1/basket. I've never seen prices this low, or fruit of this quality. The raniers are HUGE. If the rest of you haven't seen the lower prices yet, you probably will.

We've also had lots of very good cherries this year - particularly the Rainiers. Can't say I've seen prices down that low, though. I hope that happens here!

Yum! I loooove cherries, but it won't be cherry season again now until November here. Are you going to do anything to preserve them? We pitted, washed and froze some of last year's bounty - it's still great for instant desserts now.

[Jenise]

Yum! I loooove cherries, but it won't be cherry season again now until November here. Are you going to do anything to preserve them? We pitted, washed and froze some of last year's bounty - it's still great for instant desserts now.

No, I'm not kitchen-equipped to deal with any projects right now. Maybe next year if we have another crop like this.

Mike, you should see lower prices soon. I'm told the Okanagan Valley in BC also got three times the crop they expected--those have all got to go somewhere!

Woo-hoo!!!!

We like to preserve ours in brandy. I also have a batch sitting in Maraschino liqueur in the fridge. Very yummy.

We've got plenty of cherries here for .99/lb. And strawberries! We've had strawberries for weeks at .99/lb. Yum.

Jenise, which cherries do you prefer? I really love the Rainer's, best. They are so big and juicy this year. Our season is very short and some growers have stopped picking, especially the ones on top of the trees. I hope we get some of the bumper crop from up your way!
When I was a kid, I rode horses at my cousins every Sunday. During cherry season, after the horses were brushed and put away, we picked cherries. I ate more than I picked and I still remember the red stain on my hands for days. Oh my, were they ever yummy. I don't remember any cherry pies either, just a big bowl, my aunt had on her counter, and the huge bag she sent home with us for a few weeks.

I saw Rainiers at the grocery last week. At $7.99 a pound, I passed without a second thought.