by Myrna Stark Leader
BC produces nearly 95% of the sweet cherries grown in Canada, yet the tasty summer Canadian fruit’s success story remains a mystery for many Canadians, partly because the industry hasn’t focused on the Canadian marketplace until now.
“Ninety-five percent of cherries grown here are varieties developed right here in Canada with research funded by Canadian taxpayer dollars and grown by Canadian farmers who’ve learned how to grow them really well,” says Erin Carlson, who farms about 100 acres of cherry trees in British Columbia.
“Our cherries should be a point of pride,” she continues, “like poutine and maple syrup, something we offer up as truly Canadian and are proud to eat.”
Since the 1990s, the growth of the Canadian sweet cherry industry has focused largely on working with foreign nations to agreements to receive our fruit. Canadian cherries are exported to over 20 countries, places like Japan and South Korea, where they are highly valued and desired for their flavour, size and freshness.
It’s been a successful strategy. In March, April, and May cherries on Canadian store shelves are imported from places like Chile or the US – ironic since about 80% of the cherry varieties grown in the world today were invented in BC. With their warmer climates and shorter growing seasons, those countries produce ripe cherries earlier in the year. Canadians, excited to see something new on the store shelf, buy.
Then when the Canadian harvest takes place, from mid-June to the beginning of September, foreign markets are finishing their harvest season. They tend to offer retailers end-of-season cherries, typically at lower prices, sort of like a clearance sale. It can make Canadian cherries, which can be placed right alongside imported cherries, either blend in or comparatively more pricey. Like grapes, each cherry isn’t labeled with a separate sticker saying where they were grown. Consumers must look for “Canadian Cherries”, “Grown in BC”, or “Grown in Canada” on the plastic packaging or sometimes the box the cherries were shipped in.
So why look for Canadian labelling?
Freshness.
To the untrained eye, all cherries may look the same, but each varieties has unique characteristics and flavour profile. Early season varieties include Santina, Tieton, Chelan and Vans while Lapins, Sweetheart, Sovereign, Skeena, Sentennial and Staccatos ripen later. Here are great resources on varieties: https://www.bccherry.com/cherry-varieties/ , https://www.summerlandvarieties.com/.
“Our packing houses do a really good job of sorting and packing quality fruit. That’s why we are so successful with exports,” says Creston BC organic cherry grower Danny Turner.
Commercial cherries are picked by hand, cooled very quickly, sometimes on the way to the packaging facility. There they are washed and typically scanned by a high-tech machine that detects imperfections and measures colour and size. Cherries that make the grade for Canadian shelves are sorted, packaged, cooled again and shipped by truck or air. A cherry’s journey from one end of the packing plant to the other is about 25 minutes. They are shipped quickly out the door to markets across Canada, which ensures freshness.
Is there a best cherry?
Canadian food safety standards ensure cherries are grown according to specific rules and regulations and growers and packers undergo food safety audits to make sure they are following the rules.
Some cherries are sweeter, some more acidic and so on. A fun experiment is sampling cherries throughout the growing season to see which ones you prefer. There’s no right answer. It’s really a matter of individual taste.
However, a quality cherry (unless it’s a variety like Queen Anne which are more yellow/orange/pink), is heart-shaped or round and quite large, about the size of a loonie or toonie. They should be deep red, firm, with a smooth, unmarked outside and a soft, juicy, sweet inside. The best cherries have stems attached because stems provide needed moisture to help the fruit stay fresh when it is shipped. When cherry shopping, the greener the stem, the fresher the cherry.
So look for Canadian cherries this year. Just like the pride we have in prairie-invented canola, Canadian beef or salmon, Canadians can be very proud of our sweet, succulent BC cherries! Look for them on your store shelves and support Canadian cherry farmers.
Did you know? Washing cherries and freezing them whole makes a great, healthy and cooling summer snack. It’s a nature-sweetened popsicle!
