Bare Fruit Organic Dried Cherries, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)

I wanted organic bing cherries to eat out of the bag. These hit the spot for me. If I wanted safe and artificially sweetened cherries, I would have gone the commercially grown route. I got what I expected and I enjoyed them and will continue to re-order them. As far as I'm concerned they could leave the pits in them. I'm careful about eating any natural or organic product and look for minimally processed products as a plus not a minus.

I've been using the dried cherries (instead of raisins) as an addition to yogurt mixed with oatmeal for a quick breakfast. If you let them sit overnight in the yogurt, they become less chewy in texture. They add a pleasant sweetness to the mixture and the plus is that they're also organic. (But do watch out for the occasional pit!) This is the second time I've ordered this product and I would do so again.

Contrary to above reviews, I actually think these cherries are pretty good...they could be just a touch sweeter but then, THEY DON'T HAVE SUGAR ADDED, which is a bonus if one is trying to really go natural. Many products available (even the "organics") have added sugar. I think we are all so accustomed to so much sugar and starch in our foods/diets that products such as these seem bland at first. Also, the company puts a big warning on the bag that they have pits...I believe that the fact that pits show up occasionally is indicative of the fact that they are less processed. So, buying the fresh fruit would be a better option if one wants sweeter but...you would have to deal with the pits!

I purchase the multi-pack of small (individual serving) dried cherries, but those are no longer listed, but this is the same product from the same company in a different size.

1. I received my order /months/ after my Amazon order (there was an interim point at which Amazon emailed me to see if I wanted to cancel the order). Amazon did not show out-of-stock at the time of order, so buyer beware.

2. As other raters have mentioned, the taste is moderate, although the longer you chew them, the more you can taste a subtle cherry flavor. The flavor isn't as strong as I expected, but I like variety, so this point alone wouldn't have stopped me from buying

3. These have pits! I find at least 1-2 in every bag. In addition, I find another several cherries with "crunchy bits" which I suspect are remnants from pits that have chipped or broken during the de-pitting process. I've ended up eating these from the bag (very carefully), because they aren't safe enough to cook in muffins or breads (one of my original goals), because then you wouldn't be able to see when you are biting into one and the chance of dental damage would be even higher.

I have ordered other dried fruit from Bare Fruit, and enjoyed them very much (apples, mango, etc.) but I cannot recommend their cherries. I hope my review saves someone a chipped tooth.

If you like dried fruit and just want to add a different flavor, these are fine. However, if you're a cherry lover, like I am, you'll probably be disappointed. The cherry flavor is somewhat masked, it's hard to tell the difference between these cherries and raisins. And I found an average of 2-3 pits in each of the bags. (I bought the case of 25 2.5 ounce bags.)

I might buy them again, but it would have to be a great sale. :-)