How We Protect Cherries From Birds
At Stemilt, we rely on a few nature-friendly methods to encourage birds to move along and find a new favorite treat, outside the orchard!
Apples
Grown For The Taste Buds Of Today And Tomorrow
Cherries
Hand-Picked Cherries that Earn their Fame One Bite at a Time
Pears
Where Pear Country Brings the Juiciest Bites
Lil Snappers®
Apples and pears in the right flavors and size for kids
Watch to Learn More About Moon Cherries
In Orchards 2,640+ Feet Above Sea Level…
A Half Mile Closer To The Moon® Cherries Explode With Flavor Powered By The Moon
What’s A Moon Cherry?
The Man Behind The Cherries
Like an artist working on a grand canvas, fourth-generation cherry grower and Stemilt owner Kyle Mathison cultivates his Amigos orchards in Washington state with an eye on the lunar cycle. These unique orchards are perched higher than other Stemilt cherry sites, overlooking the Columbia River and the town of Wenatchee. This is where A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries grow at more than 2,640 feet in elevation, or quite literally a half mile closer to the moon!
Grand Finale Of Cherry Season
We believe in saving the best for last, and that’s what you get with our mystical A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries. High-altitude orchards bloom and ripen later and are the best place for premium cherries to grow.
Selecting The Best
The best way to pick out great Moon cherries is by looking at the fruit inside the bag or container! Bright green stems and dark, mahogany-colored skin indicate that the cherries are fresh and flavorful.
How To Store Cherries
To keep cherries fresh, store them in a cool, dry environment, like in the refrigerator, without washing them. Rinsing cherries without eating them right away can cause them to split and spoil quicker.
How To Enjoy Moon Cherries
Bite into a crisp Moon cherry and you’ll experience an explosion of aromatics, sugars, acids, and juiciness. Enjoy these as a snack, which might as well be dessert with the sweetness these beauties have! Our favorite time to eat them is on National Chant at the Moon Day on August 15, a day we’ve dedicated to honor the uniqueness of these premium cherries.
A Nutritious Late Summer Snack That…
Is Rich In Antioxidants
One cup of cherries contains over 4,800 antioxidants that help protect cells in the body from damage during oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals.
Promotes Bone Health
Cherries contain boron, a mineral that helps maintain calcium balance and promotes bone health.
Supports Heart Health
Anthocyanins give cherries a deep red color, a color that means its good for the heart! Anthocyanins help protect the heart and surrounding tissue, inhibiting plaque formation.
Moon Cherries Are Packed With…
- Fiber – One cup of sweet cherries contains 3 grams of dietary fiber!
- Vitamin C – That same serving contains 16% of your daily Vitamin C.
- Potassium – 260 milligrams in one cup – a main electrolyte that balances water levels!
The Season’s Grand Finale!
Look for A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries from August to early September.
Uniquely Grown
Moon Cherries aren’t just a name, they’re a taste experience. While the moon may not truly sweeten them, it’s the unique high-elevation, late-season conditions that make every bite extraordinary.
Worth The Wait
Thanks to extra hang-time in the orchards, Moon Cherries stay on the tree longer. They’re extension to the season doesn’t just lengthen harvest, it gives each cherry extra time to build deep sweetness, vibrant color, and dreamy flavors.
Benefits Of The Late Season
The high-altitude orchards we grow Moon cherries in bloom and ripen later, delaying harvest and extending the season. Because these late-season cherries are grown so high in elevation, the climate allows for warm, sunny days, where they collect more sugars, and then get to restore during cool nights.
Planted For Flavor
A key part of Moon cherries’ dessert-like flavor is Kyle Mathison’s World Famous compost. Inspired by its use in wine grapes, Kyle spent years perfecting a nutrient-rich mix made from local yard waste, leftover fruit, and other secret ingredients. Applied each fall, the compost works its magic over winter. As Kyle says, “the deeper the snow, the better the cherries”, pushing nutrients deep into the soil, where they soak into the roots and explode with flavor the next season.
The Significance Of The Moon
When the stars perfectly align, Moon cherries will be harvested in the days leading up to a full moon. Its Kyle’s belief that the extra gravitational pull from the moon builds extra nutrients and brix (sugars) into the cherries. Early in the morning before the sun rises and the moon sets is when Kyle believes you get the most flavorful, crunchy cherries.
Packed For Perfection
Behind each bag of Moon cherries is a World Famous packing process where cherries travel gently through hydrocooled pathways into their final package. To ensure Moon cherries taste just as fresh as when they were plucked from the tree, we strive to ship cherries within 48 hours to deliver a premium eating experience.
Tasty Inspirations
How to Pit Cherries
Watch this video to learn 3 methods for pitting a cherry
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