Cherries,Cherries, Cherries and more Cherries

Start date (Mother Nature permitting) July 15

Both tart and sweet cherries ripen in July - the third week of July is usually the peak of the harvest.

Most tart cherries are mechanically harvested, using a shaker to drop the fruit onto canvases where they flow into elevators and are placed in tanks of water. Sweet cherries that are to be marketed fresh are picked by hand.

Tart cherries, which are sometimes called sour or pie cherries, are best known as the key ingredient in desserts. Cherries also are delicious in main courses, salads, side dishes and beverages.

Cherries do not last long, kept in a refrigerator they may last around a week. Cherries bruise easily so don't keep them in plastic bags, they are best stored in shallow bowls.

Preserving cherries. -
Cherries are best fresh. They are also very versatile and can be enjoyed throughout the year as they can be stewed, bottled, frozen, dehydrated, used for jam, syrup or cherry brandy....and even more. Here are few hints on ways to preserve cherries.

Freezing -
Cherries keep very well frozen. In fact they tend to retain their flavor more then when they are stewed or bottled. You can freeze cherries with their pits in but they are nicer to eat if they are pitted prior to freezing. To freeze lay the cherries flat on a tray in a single layer and put in a suitable spot in the freezer. When frozen put them in serving size bags and return to the freezer. Easy isn't it? When you want to serve the cherries place them in a bowl to defrost with about a tablespoon of sugar per half kilogram of frozen cherries. Serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream.

Stewing -
To stew cherries it is best to use as little water as possible, about half a cup per kilogram is enough if you bring them to simmer slowly. The amount of sugar you add depends on the variety, but a couple of tablespoons per kilo is often enough. Try adding a table spoon of grated orange rind when you stew them and/or a dash of grand Marnier or brandy.

SWEETHEART CHERRIES

These were developed at the Summerland Research Station.

They, like other cherries, blossom around end of April.

These are the latest variety to be picked and will not be ripe until the month of August.

A large, dark, purple, crunchy cherry.

RAINIER CHERRIES - THE PRIMA DONA

Rainiers usually blossom around the end of April, but, like other fruit, this depends on the weather.

We pick these cherries around the last week of July.

They are large, very sweet, low in acid and very attractive

Rainier cherries are also known as the "white cherry" because they do have white flesh and the skin is yellowish-red blush when they are ripe.

BING CHERRIES

originated in Oregon, U.S.A., by S. Leveling in 1875.

these trees take about 6 years to have good production.

our Bing trees are 40 plus years old.

Bings are the first variety that we pick. Our picking dates are later than the rest of this area because of the valley that we live in. Our Bings are usually picked around July 6th.

they bloom around the 3rd week in April.

LAMBERT CHERRIES

named by S. Leveling of Oregon, U.S.A., in 1875.

as with other cherry varieties, it takes about 6 years for Lamberts to come into good production. Our big Lambert trees are 40 plus years old and our smaller Lambert trees are 15 plus years old.

the bloom date varies each year depending upon the weather. On average, these trees usually bloom in the 3rd week of April.

Lamberts are picked after Van cherries; this is usually around July 17th, weather permitting.

LAPIN CHERRIES

developed at the Summerland Research Station in the late 1980's by Dr. D. Lane and other scientists.

Lapins bloom around the later part of April.

they are ready to pick shortly after Lamberts which is usually late July.

some of our Lapins were planted in 1992 and the younger ones were planted in 1994.

the Lapin was developed as a more rain resistant Cherry than other varieties. On the whole, they are more resistant to splitting, but tend to crop very heavy and have a harder time sizing well because of their high density.