Last week we received a message from a consumer who was curious to know about the cherries we use in our Cherry Pie:

“We just bought the cherry pie and we are wondering if the cherries are fresh or from a can?”

Michelle
Oakland, CA

What a great question to address in The Whole Cookie! The cherries—like all the fruits we use in our products—are what is called individually quick frozen (IQF) fruits.

IQF fruits are frozen within hours after they are harvested, locking in the flavor, nutrients, color and texture of fresh fruits. In the case of our apples and peaches, these fruits are peeled, sliced and treated with Vitamin C to preserve freshness and color before freezing.

This ultra-fast method of freezing the fruit to very cold temperatures (below -30°C) minimizes the formation of ice crystals, and stops microorganisms that normally cause the fruit to decay and deteriorate.