Orondo Ruby Makes its 2014 Debut in Seattle Markets

Orondo – The Orondo Ruby, a new Northwest cherry variety discovered by fourth generation fruit grower Marcus Griggs, is now available at select grocers throughout the country. This patented cherry variety is grown exclusively by G&C Farms, and has only been available since 2010 in very limited quantities. This year, ideal weather and tree maturity has resulted in a crop double the size of last year’s, increasing production from 30 thousand boxes to 60 thousand boxes.

“This time of year is always exciting for us, and the 2014 harvest will hopefully be one of our best thus far,” said Cory Wray, director of marketing and branding for the Orondo Ruby. “The Rubies have great color and are full of flavor – we’re excited to get them into our customers’ hands.”

The Orondo Ruby is characterized by its vibrant red appearance and a golden-yellow flesh, along with a perfectly crisp yet juicy bite. In 2010, the Orondo Ruby was introduced to a handful of customers and received much praise due to its combination of high sugar and acid levels, resulting in bigger flavor. A 28-day refrigerated storage test performed by the WSU Tree Fruit Research Center showed that the Orondo Ruby’s firm skin and higher acidity allows it to have a better shelf life than that of Bing and Rainier cherries.

The Orondo Ruby is sold and distributed by Chelan Fresh Marketing (www.chelanfresh.com) and is now available at QFC and Fred Meyer in the Pacific Northwest. Nationally, the Orondo Ruby will be available in various Kroger and Sam’s Club Stores. As the Orondo Ruby trees continue to grow, full production of the variety is projected to be reached in 2017 and yield 125 thousand boxes. Price varies by retailer.

About the Orondo Ruby

The Orondo Ruby was a chance seedling found by grower Marcus Griggs in 2001 in the middle of his Rainier cherry orchard. Griggs, a fourth generation fruit grower, owns the patent for the Orondo Ruby which features a scarlet red-blushed skin and golden yellow flesh and features juicy-sweet layers of flavor, balanced acidity and a crisp bite. Studies have shown this variety to have up to 20 percent more sugar and acid than Rainier cherries, resulting in bigger flavor. For more information visitwww.orondoruby.com or find them on Facebook (facebook.com/orondoruby), Twitter (twitter.com/orondoruby) and Instagram (instagram.com/orondoruby).