Empress is the earliest variety that we harvest. It is picked in the first week of November and is a dark cherry with a medium thick stem. It is sweet with good keeping qualities. Size range is 20mm to 25mm.
Supreme is a very large cherry for its time slot picked about Mid November. It is a dark cherry that has a very course flesh with a short thick stem. It is an excellent cherry but is very hard to get, as it is prone to rain damage. Size range is 22mm to 26mm.
Lewis is a medium cherry that is very sweet. It is a bright red colour with long stem and is an excellent cherry for eating. It is harvested in Mid November and is a reliable variety. Size range 22mm to 26mm.
Alice is a very large and very hard cherry. It is a red cherry with a thick medium length stem. This cherry is exclusive to E.F.Cunich & Co and has excellent handling qualities and is harvested late November. Unfortunately this variety is very risky as it is extremely prone to rain damage. Size range is 23mm to 29mm.
Vista is very large cherry with a sweet and sour taste. It is mahogany in colour with a medium length stem. This cherry must be harvested when mature as it will be very sour when harvested early. Fruit is harvested late November. Size range 23mm to 28mm.
Rons is a large cherry and is the main cherry from the Young District. It is a dark cherry with a medium and thick stem. This cherry can be harvested over a very long period and has excellent keeping and handling qualities. It has a very good flavour and a very course flesh. Fruit is harvested in the last week of November through till the middle of December. Size range 22mm to 28mm.
Bing is a large cherry that is a well known variety all over the world. It has been the main variety for the USA as it is a hard cherry that can be shipped anywhere. It is a dark red colour with a medium stem and a good flavour. This cherry has excellent keeping and handling qualities. Fruit is harvested in Mid December. Size range is 23mm to 28mm.
Stella is a large dark red cherry with a medium stem. It has an excellent flavour and grows well on our property. Fruit is harvested in Early to Mid December. Size range 23mm to 28mm.
Sam is a large dark cherry with a long stem. This variety has a sweet sour taste and must be picked mature as it will be sour if picked early. This variety is excellent in wet seasons as it doesn’t split like most other varieties. Fruit is harvested in Mid December. Size range 23mm to 28mm.
Lambert is an older variety that was bread for the canning market. It is a red colour with a medium to long stem that does fall from the cherry. It has an excellent flavour large size and will have potential for the stemless market. Fruit is harvested Mid to late December. Size range 23mm to 27mm.
Lapin is a very large cherry dark red in colour with a medium stem. This variety is sweet and must be picked with the right flesh colour to prevent pitting in storage. Fruit is harvested late December. Size range 24mm to 30mm.
Sweetheart is a large to very large cherry bred in Canada. It is a red in colour with a medium stem. It has a good flavour with good handling qualities. Fruit is harvested late December. Size range 24mm to 28mm.
Other Varieties
There is many other varieties that are grown and all have there own qualities and are suitable for certain markets. Some new varieties that E.F.Cunich & Co are evaluating are Earlisse, Arodel early season cherries from France and Kordia, Regina late season varieties from Germany.
Storage
Cherries are best stored at 0-2 degrees Celsius and a high humidity. If life span bags are used you must not let the fruit warm up. If this happens open the bag or you will excellerate the ripening of the fruit. Cherries are best sold and eaten fresh and any storage should either be done on farm or during transit. Cherries are sensitive to ethylene and large temperature flucuations. Cherries can be stored for 4weeks from harvest with perfect conditions and it’s best to speak to the grower.
Displays
Cherries are best displayed in a prominate position as they are an impulse buy. Cherries should be shinny with fresh green stems that will attract the consumer. Displays should be checked regularly for damaged fruit from the comsumer and that fruit removed. A small stock that is regularly restocked from the coolroom is preferred however the use of mirrors can make the display look larger.
Sizes
Cherries come in a range of different sizes and shapes. The earlier the variety the smaller they are as they are not on the tree long. Smaller sizes are not poorer quality cherries and they still have the same flavour and keeping qualities as the larger ones. In some cases the smaller cherry is a better cherry than the larger one. The best size is usually the average size and this is usually the best value for money.
Nutrition
Cherries are a very nutritious snack that provides plenty of vitamins and minerals. They are high in potassium and have a low GI so they are great for diabetics and they give you that constant energy. Cherries are a healthy alternative to chocolate.
