Fruit
Bing
S tier
Bing is the classic mahogany-black Northwest sweet cherry—large, heart-shaped, and intensely sweet with dark juice that stains fingers and pastry. Flesh is firm enough for long-haul packing when picked at the right firmness, yet melts with juice once fully tree-ripe. Skin finishes nearly black; underripe fruit stays dull red and grassy. The default “dark cherry” for US fresh markets and a benchmark for pie and clafoutis when pitted. Pair with chocolate, almond extract, duck, and balsamic reductions. Crack-sensitive after rain near harvest, so growers watch weather closely in late June and early July.
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Seth Lewelling and orchard workers in Oregon selected Bing from Black Republican seedling stock.
Bing became the leading commercial sweet cherry of the Pacific Northwest packing houses.
California and Washington expanded Bing acreage for national supermarket programmes.
Newer self-fertile cultivars challenged Bing’s dominance while it remained a flavour reference.