Heirloom Cherries

Rena · January 24, 2014

I am curious if the Heirloom cherries do well with Chefs? I am looking at cherries because they always do so well went nothing else is fruit setting (when the humidity starts clumping the pollen) It will also extend the season when the slicers are gone. I know they are a pain to pick.
What do you charge a Chef for a pint? or pound?
Are they popular?
THANKS in Advance

Rena

Worth1 · January 24, 2014

I see them using cherries all of the time on cooking shows.

I watch too many cooking shows.

Worth

Cole_Robbie · January 24, 2014

My customers like a mix of colors in one box, although I haven't tried including a green-when-ripe one yet. That would probably not go over well. I have found that they don't care about what is hybrid or heirloom, either. This year I am going to try some of the new striped bumble bee cherries from Artisan seeds.

FarmerShawn · January 25, 2014

At my market I put the boxes of different colored cherries out on the table, and provide empty pint boxes so customers can create their own mix. Most are perfectly delighted to do so; only a few will buy just one color, given the choice. (The usual exception is sungolds - those just seem to disappear into the hands - and mouths - of experienced tomato customers!)

Rena · January 25, 2014

Shawn what do you charge per pint?

natural · January 25, 2014

Rena,

I have sold a lot of mixed color cherries to chefs. They really like the colors, but could care less whether or not they are heirlooms. I DO attempt to keep a fairly consistent size between all of the different cherries in order to make it easier for the chefs to use the product. For instance, I would not deliver Mexico Midgets and a large red cherry together.

I typically charge the same price per lb. as the normal tomatoes. I usually sell in 10 lb increments. The exception is for currant tomatoes. I will package and deliver those separately, as well as charge a lot more per lb. This is a great option because chefs will use them as garnish (say 1 to 3 per dish). Thus a few currants can go a long way.

Bill

FarmerShawn · January 25, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rena

Shawn what do you charge per pint?

$3.50 a pound is about the best I can do around here. I get that for all tomatoes, no matter what shape or size. Keeps it simple. But I am envious of the rates I see and hear about from other parts of the country.

Rena · January 25, 2014

Thanks! That helps. I am thinking because cherries are more labor intensive that they should go for more. It is like you said tho- depends on what your market will support. I know in the south when the heat hits it will be the only thing producing.

goodwin · January 28, 2014

I guess it's obvious, but we've found our product needs to match the menu. It's easy to pull up a restaurant's menu or visit for lunch or dinner and see where the tomatoes will end up. Afterwards, we might go around and leave a sample box with the chef or head of the kitchen. Once a restaurant decides on a supplier, they don't shop around, so you have to move early.
Restaurants want a reliable and consistent supply over a long season. That takes planning way ahead of time - like now - when you decide when and what to plant.
They like a lot of color and some things you can sell on flavor, but whatever you supply needs to be fresh and hold well. We grow all open-pollinated varieties, which has worked great for us.
Lee

PaulF · January 29, 2014

I don't sell to chefs, but the cafe in town loves it when I bring in a box or sack of mixed cherries. Most of the salads they make have cherry tomatoes in them. They also slice up the big ones.

By the way, nice to see you posting again; you have been missed.

biscgolf · January 29, 2014

i sell to chefs about an hour south of DC. whether they care about heirlooms or not is as individual as the food they make. in general they want to be able to promote local much moreso than heirloom. $3/pint is our going rate for cherries, $4/quart for juliets. $2/pound is about all i can get out of larger tomatoes whether heirloom or not. i am not planning on marketing anything but cherries and juliets this year.

Geezer · February 6, 2014

Don't forget presentation makes a difference too. When I did the Danville, IN farmer's market I used to sell the cherry tomatoes in square popcorn boxes I got at Hobby Lobby. People would walk up and down the market eating them out of the boxes. This made other people seeing this want some too....

!
I never failed to sell out.

Evil Ed

discoprincess · February 12, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rena

I am curious if the Heirloom cherries do well with Chefs?

I'm in NYC. When I go to one particular centrally-located (and large!) farmer's market in the early morning during the growing season, I will often see chefs choosing produce for their seasonal menus; they will haul away a large tray or a small cart of produce. Heirloom tomatoes of all kinds are a hot commodity when they are in season.

The demand exists here.

I'm not sure whether a similar demand exists in your area.

Boutique Tomatoes · February 15, 2014

Last year with a late start and early flooding combined with cool temperatures cherries were about the only thing we got to sell, and our restaurant customers loved to get them. Heirloom or hybrid made no difference, appearance and flavor along with shelf life are king. Something delicious that only holds 2 days or those that split the minute a cook dumps them into a colander to wash them off they don't want.

Our problem with the slicers was that perfect specimens were only a fraction of the total yield. And even if you can get them to take cracked, split or blemished ones, they only want to pay a fraction for them, but they take the same amount of work to harvest. I got tired of trying to peddle them and canned hundreds of jars of salsa and sauce for gifts instead.

This year I'm planting almost exclusively cherries and small salad types for sale, with perhaps one row of larger striped tomatoes (mostly Brad Gates varieties) under a low tunnel to see if I can get more salable fruit that way.

We were getting an average of $3 for mixed pints of cherries including the Artisan cherry lines last year.

Worth1 · February 15, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boutique Tomatoes

Last year with a late start and early flooding combined with cool temperatures cherries were about the only thing we got to sell, and our restaurant customers loved to get them. Heirloom or hybrid made no difference, appearance and flavor along with shelf life are king. Something delicious that only holds 2 days or those that split the minute a cook dumps them into a colander to wash them off they don't want.

Our problem with the slicers was that perfect specimens were only a fraction of the total yield. And even if you can get them to take cracked, split or blemished ones, they only want to pay a fraction for them, but they take the same amount of work to harvest. I got tired of trying to peddle them and canned hundreds of jars of salsa and sauce for gifts instead.

This year I'm planting almost exclusively cherries and small salad types for sale, with perhaps one row of larger striped tomatoes (mostly Brad Gates varieties) under a low tunnel to see if I can get more salable fruit that way.

We were getting an average of $3 for mixed pints of cherries including the Artisan cherry lines last year.

It isn't a cheery but I bet speckled roman would sell like hotcakes for you.
It is a very good tomato.
Worth

January 24, 2014	#1
Rena Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Warm Springs, GA Posts: 1,421	Heirloom Cherries I am curious if the Heirloom cherries do well with Chefs? I am looking at cherries because they always do so well went nothing else is fruit setting (when the humidity starts clumping the pollen) It will also extend the season when the slicers are gone. I know they are a pain to pick. What do you charge a Chef for a pint? or pound? Are they popular? THANKS in Advance Rena

January 25, 2014	#4
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	At my market I put the boxes of different colored cherries out on the table, and provide empty pint boxes so customers can create their own mix. Most are perfectly delighted to do so; only a few will buy just one color, given the choice. (The usual exception is sungolds - those just seem to disappear into the hands - and mouths - of experienced tomato customers!) __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

January 29, 2014	#10
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,282	I don't sell to chefs, but the cafe in town loves it when I bring in a box or sack of mixed cherries. Most of the salads they make have cherry tomatoes in them. They also slice up the big ones. By the way, nice to see you posting again; you have been missed. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 6, 2014	#12
Geezer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Brownsburg, IN Posts: 293	Don't forget presentation makes a difference too. When I did the Danville, IN farmer's market I used to sell the cherry tomatoes in square popcorn boxes I got at Hobby Lobby. People would walk up and down the market eating them out of the boxes. This made other people seeing this want some too....! I never failed to sell out. Evil Ed

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January 24, 2014	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I see them using cherries all of the time on cooking shows. I watch too many cooking shows. Worth

January 24, 2014	#3
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	My customers like a mix of colors in one box, although I haven't tried including a green-when-ripe one yet. That would probably not go over well. I have found that they don't care about what is hybrid or heirloom, either. This year I am going to try some of the new striped bumble bee cherries from Artisan seeds.

January 25, 2014	#6
natural Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North GA Posts: 530	Rena, I have sold a lot of mixed color cherries to chefs. They really like the colors, but could care less whether or not they are heirlooms. I DO attempt to keep a fairly consistent size between all of the different cherries in order to make it easier for the chefs to use the product. For instance, I would not deliver Mexico Midgets and a large red cherry together. I typically charge the same price per lb. as the normal tomatoes. I usually sell in 10 lb increments. The exception is for currant tomatoes. I will package and deliver those separately, as well as charge a lot more per lb. This is a great option because chefs will use them as garnish (say 1 to 3 per dish). Thus a few currants can go a long way. Bill

January 28, 2014	#9
goodwin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Espanola, New Mexico Posts: 606	I guess it's obvious, but we've found our product needs to match the menu. It's easy to pull up a restaurant's menu or visit for lunch or dinner and see where the tomatoes will end up. Afterwards, we might go around and leave a sample box with the chef or head of the kitchen. Once a restaurant decides on a supplier, they don't shop around, so you have to move early. Restaurants want a reliable and consistent supply over a long season. That takes planning way ahead of time - like now - when you decide when and what to plant. They like a lot of color and some things you can sell on flavor, but whatever you supply needs to be fresh and hold well. We grow all open-pollinated varieties, which has worked great for us. Lee

January 29, 2014	#11
biscgolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 353	i sell to chefs about an hour south of DC. whether they care about heirlooms or not is as individual as the food they make. in general they want to be able to promote local much moreso than heirloom. $3/pint is our going rate for cherries, $4/quart for juliets. $2/pound is about all i can get out of larger tomatoes whether heirloom or not. i am not planning on marketing anything but cherries and juliets this year.

February 15, 2014	#14
Boutique Tomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northeast Wisconsin, Zone 5a Posts: 1,109	Last year with a late start and early flooding combined with cool temperatures cherries were about the only thing we got to sell, and our restaurant customers loved to get them. Heirloom or hybrid made no difference, appearance and flavor along with shelf life are king. Something delicious that only holds 2 days or those that split the minute a cook dumps them into a colander to wash them off they don't want. Our problem with the slicers was that perfect specimens were only a fraction of the total yield. And even if you can get them to take cracked, split or blemished ones, they only want to pay a fraction for them, but they take the same amount of work to harvest. I got tired of trying to peddle them and canned hundreds of jars of salsa and sauce for gifts instead. This year I'm planting almost exclusively cherries and small salad types for sale, with perhaps one row of larger striped tomatoes (mostly Brad Gates varieties) under a low tunnel to see if I can get more salable fruit that way. We were getting an average of $3 for mixed pints of cherries including the Artisan cherry lines last year.