Payson Fruit Growers
Family Farm Cooperative
As a co-op of eight family farms, Payson Fruit Growers originally grew Montmorency cherries, a varietal that originated in Europe and found popularity in the America as “pie cherries,” a cherry renowned for its tartness and color. A staple of middle American cuisine, the market started to shift for cherry growers in the 1980s.
Seeing an opportunity in the dried fruit market, our owners started to experiment with drying the harvested pitted cherries. The tart Montmorency cherry is unique — firm and intensely red, and not as tart as you might think for our modern taste buds. Payson Fruit Growers discovered dried tart cherries were delicious incorporated into salads, covered in chocolate, or just eaten by the handful.
Can Be Found Here:
- Rowley’s Red Barn – Santaquin Utah
- Allred Fruit Stand – Provo, Utah
Reviews:
“We’ve been customers for several years and love the dried cherries as well as the chocolate covered cherries. I love the milk chocolate and my husband loves the dark chocolate cherries. I usually order them in the cool months, but i took a chance and ordered them in June, and they were perfect! We’re having a cool snap and they are packaged in foam, so they arrived perfect! They make wonderful gifts for the holidays, everyone just loves them!” – Rose Obrien, Google Review
“Awesome cherries!!” – Kathy Peters, Google Review
Payson, Utah
- 1201 West 800 South
- Payson, Utah 84651
- 801-465-9242
- Message: orders@montiestartcherries.com
- www.montiestartcherries.com/
Payson Fruit Growers - Family Farms
Farmers & Owners
Monties Tart Cherries are grown in orchards nestled at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, fed by the winter snow run-off and valley wells, and cared for by the same families that founded Payson Fruit Growers in 1964. The summer harvest is hot and dry in Utah, but an annual tradition for the small town of Payson where everyone — all ages of girls, boys, aunts, uncles, and cousins plus local off-track school teachers and principals — pulls together to pick the cherries within a critical three to four-week period. For over 60 years, we’ve gown Montmorency tart cherries, or Monties as we like to call them. Why Monties? They’re delicious, but also contain nutrients – like melatonin and antioxidants (quercetin and anthocyanins) – linked to better sleep, muscle and joint pain relief, and heart health.
Our orchards sit at an optimal location for cherry growing. The combination of elevation and nearby Utah Lake help our crops withstand Utah’s cool high desert mornings. Hot summer days are perfect for ripening and infusing our Monties with a higher “brix” or natural sugar content. We consider ourselves lucky to live in a place that’s both beautiful and uniquely suited to growing the crop we love with our family, friends, and community.