Washington-based fresh produce grower-shipper Stemilt Growers has announced the introduction of a new state-of-the-art optical sizer and in-line cluster cutter to its operations, which it says will allow it to size large Rainier cherries with precision in order to deliver a premium pack to the market.
Optical sizing has been used for many years on apples, Stemilt marketing director Roger Pepperl noted, but will be especially beneficial to the delicate Rainier variety.
'Rainiers, by nature, tend to be larger in size than dark-sweet cherry varieties,' he said. 'Optical sizing technology uses high-speed cameras to measure the diameter of each cherry, which results in a pack full of similar-sized cherries. Rainier cherry sales are driven by size and quality, and this new technology has helped us deliver the premium product that consumers are looking for.'
An additional feature of the new cheery line is the ability to gently cut clusters of cherries into singles, a feature that Pepperl feels will reduce the number of times cherries are handled overall to deliver a premium eating experience for consumers.
This year, the group expects to take some 250,000 equivalent cartons of Raniers to markets.
'The Ranier crop is a thing of beauty this year,' Pepperl adds. 'The fruit is large in size and very clean with sugar levels right where we want them to be. Consumers are in for a real treat with Ranier cherries this year.'
No comments yet