Fleeting Cherries;
The season for cherries has lengthened over the
last twenty years with orchards planting multiple varieties that mature at
different times. Different valleys within BC have different
times for ripening and this helps extend the season too. Including the State of Washington with British
Columbia means the cherry season can begin in June and end in August. Cherries are
grown in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Kootenay Valleys. They are sensitive to
winter and spring frosts. Cherries are part of the 'Rosaceae' family, and
cousins include apricots, almonds, peaches and plums.
The world history of cherries is somewhat scant, but some say the cherry
tree originated in the territories of Asia Minor near the Black Sea and the
Caspian Sea, and dates back to 300 B.C.
When buying cherries find out where they are from
and what variety they are and that way you can justify your cherry buying habit
as “research”. My particular habit is
to never buy cherries from anywhere but British Columbia and occasionally
Washington. Cherries in the grocery
store in the middle of winter are pretty and pretty disappointing when you
taste them. You’ll hear me harp on this
over and over again- buy things in their season, grown as close to where you live
as possible, eat your face off, freeze or preserve some and then wait until
next year. The flavour and nutrition
are so much better, it doesn’t burn
excessive amounts of fuel to transport and anticipation of what will be ready
next makes it all that much better too.
Last week
Glen at Fresh Picked Fruit Truck had Santinas. This cherry
variety is a very sweet, average
sized, black cherry. It is oval shaped, with a beautiful bright attractive
skin. Santinas came from the Canadian cherry breeding program in British
Columbia in the 1960's. Santina cherry is an early cherry, usually harvested in
mid to late June. Santina cherries are delicious when eaten fresh. They are
also very delicious in sweet cherry dessert recipes, cherry cheesecake and in a
homemade cherry pie recipe!
BC produces 5.5 million kilograms of sweet cherries and 1 million
kilograms of sour cherries. This is about 60% of the Canadian cherry crop. The
main varieties grown in BC are Bing, Lambert, Van, Lapins and Sweetheart. Newer
varieties like Lapins and Sweethearts are late varieties which are receiving
high returns in eastern and offshore markets.
Once planted, a cherry orchard takes 4 to 6 years to reach full
production. Once cherry trees are established, the orchardist must regularly
prune; fertilize; control weed growth, insects and disease; water; and replant
trees to ensure the orchard is always healthy. Bee hives are placed in the
orchards after the first blooms open to ensure pollination.
Cherries are harvested during the summer, mainly late June through July
and picked by hand on ladders. Fruit
must be harvested carefully because it can be damaged in picking or in moving
from bucket to bin. Bruised fruit will not keep long, even in proper storage
conditions. Fruit must be cooled immediately after being picked to avoid
moisture loss. Shriveled fruit is not attractive to buyers. After cherries are picked, they are put into
bins and moved from the orchard. Cherries are taken to packing houses where
they are cooled before being packaged and shipped to buyers. Cherries are best
kept at -1C to 1C throughout these operations to retain maximum quality.
Cherries should be shipped to market 24 to 48 hours after harvest.
Cherries are eaten fresh, made into pie filling, flavoured yogurt,
jellies, jams, sauces, stewed fruit, fruit drinks, ice cream and candies.
Cherries are a good source of vitamin C, the B vitamins, potassium and many
micronutrients. Most sweet cherries are eaten fresh. Almost all sour cherries
are processed.
WHAT
CHALLENGES DO CHERRY PRODUCERS FACE?
Little Cherry
Disease is a serious threat to the cherry industry in the Okanagan-Similkameen
and Kootenay Valleys. Japanese flowering cherries, a common ornamental grown in
many gardens, can carry this disease without showing any signs of it. In an
attempt to protect the cherry orchards, it has been made illegal for these
flowering cherries to be grown in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. One of the main reasons that more cherries
are not grown in BC is cherry fruit splitting.
If it rains on the orchard just before the cherries are ready to pick
they split and can only be used for processing or are waste. Rain covers can protect the fruit from this,
but they can cost $44 to 50,000 per hectare.
Researchers are developing dwarfing rootstocks. These smaller trees
could be planted closer together thereby increasing total production per acre.
Because the trees are smaller, labour costs for pruning and harvesting are
reduced and smaller spray volumes are required due to less total leaf area.
Coming this week!
The Van Cherry is a popular cherry fruit that has been grown in B.C. for a very long
time.
Van cherries are a medium size fruit, slightly smaller than a Bing, but
are very firm black color, and they are oh, such a sweet cherry. Van's are usually available in the Okanagan at the
end of June or early July, and like most sweet cherries, Van's are generally
best eaten fresh. These cherries are also excellent for canning, and in your
favorite yummy cherry recipes like cherry cobbler!
Other Cherry Varieties that are coming soon:
At one time Bing Cherries were
the most popular of all the varieties of cherries grown in the Okanagan Valley.
These sweet cherries are extra large in
size, slightly heart-shaped cherries with a deep maroon color, and a delicious,
sweet wonderful flavor. Bings are one of the common types of cherries that you
will find in grocery stores and supermarkets.
It's a good idea to
store fully ripe Bing cherries in the fridge, because once they ripen, they
will only last a few days. Bing cherries are preferred fresh by many people, but they are also excellent for cherry recipes such as
jams, jellies and preserves, in cherry pie recipes, and desserts like a
delicious cherry cobbler recipe. They are one of the most versatile types of
cherries around!
Skeena Cherry variety is usually harvested around the same time as the
Lapin cherry, around mid July to mid August. When mature, Skeena cherries, are
large, black, and very firm, with a dark red to black skin. The flavor is
strong and of high quality, and Skeena's tend to be the cherry of choice for
this ripening time. Skeena cherries are also very good eaten fresh, and
delicious in dessert recipes because they are so wonderfully sweet!
The Sweetheart Cherry
variety is a late cherry, with a unique taste and a firm fruit that is crunchy
when picked and eaten. Sweetheart cherries are usually available beginning in
late July to the middle of August. Sweetheart's are very good in a cherry
dessert, canned cherries, and sweet cherry jam. The Sweetheart cherry is also a
good type of cherry to ship, so if you're looking to take cherries home with
you, these keep fairly well.
Lambert Cherries
Lambert cherry variety
has been one of the main types of cherries grown in the Okanagan, historically.
The fruit is large,
round and a beautiful deep ruby red color, and has a semi sweet flavor. Lambert
cherries are usually available around the middle of July.
Lamberts are excellent
for out-of-hand eating as well as cooking and baking. Thinking about a rich
chocolate cherry cake for your next summer dessert? Lamberts are an excellent
choice!
Lapin Cherry is a variety of sweet cherries characterized by
dark ruby skin, deep red flesh, and are a very large size. These make a
delicious sweet cherry jam or jelly!
Lapin cherries are one
of the most popular fruits commercially grown around the world, and this
variety tends to keep better than other types of cherries. Lapins are generally
ready to pick in mid July. You can get these types of cherries at local farm fresh
markets all the way to mid August.
Choosing Fresh Cherries & Keeping Fruit Fresh
Look for cherries that
are firm to touch, and are without bruising or soft spots. Try to pick cherries
with the stems on. The skins should be smooth, and free of tears, white spots
or blemishes. Cherries damaged by heavy rain or hail may have cracks in the
skin and should be avoided. Store cherries in the
refrigerator to keep them cold. They will last
for up to a week.
·
Cherries ripen quickly and should be used as soon as possible upon
ripening.
·
Avoid storing cherries near strong-smelling foods.
·
Avoid washing cherries until you are ready to use them.
·
Remove mushy or rotten cherries from the bag or box in order to
preserve the rest.
·
Avoid placing cherries in direct sunlight, such as near windows,
to prevent deterioration of the fruit.
·
You can freeze most types of cherries by first rinsing and
draining them thoroughly.
Freeze individually first on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight. Once the
cherries are frozen, transfer them to a heavy freezer bag. Frozen cherries can be kept up to a year.
Cherry Cobbler: (adapted from Cinda
Chavich in The Girl Can’t Cook)
(Serves 6-8)
Fruit:
5-6
cups pitted cherries (any other fruit can be substituted)
½
cup sugar (add half and then adjust to taste)
1
Tbsp flour
Mix
together and pour into a 6 cup shallow baking dish and dot with butter.
Preheat
oven to 375 F
Topping:
2
cups flour
Pinch
salt
3
Tbsp sugar
1
Tbsp baking powder
1/3
cup cold butter
Cut
together the above ingredients
Beat
together 1 egg and 1/3 cup milk add to the flour mixture to make a stiff dough.
Break off little chunks and flatten into
“cobbles”. Lay over the fruit mix
overlapping to make a cobblestone top.
Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp sugar and bake for 35-45 min until browned and
bubbly. Cool for 20 min and serve with
ice cream.
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