Cherry U-Pick Orchards or farms in New South Wales in 2024, by area of state
Keep in mind, not all areas of a state have cherries orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!
These are the areas of the state that have cherry orchards to pick cherries. Click on the area closet you!
- Hawkesberry - Bilpin area of New South Wales, Australia,
- New South Wales and ACT, Australia,
- Northeast NSW, Australia,
- Northwest New South Wales, Australia,
- Sydney Area of New South Wales, Australia,
Cherry
Cherry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
If
you are about to pick cherries either directly from a tree, or from a local
orchard or market, here's what you need to know to pick the best cherries.
Cherries are a fairly early crop, flowering soon after the last
frosts in April and May, setting fruit in June, usually at the same
time as strawberries in most areas (but
check your area's
harvest calendar and call the farm or orchard you are planning
to go to a few weeks ahead).
Types of Cherries
There are two types of cherries: sweet cherries and
sour cherries (also called tart or pie
cherries). The difference is simple:
- Sweet cherries taste
sweeter and are eaten fresh.
![Gold cherries](../cherries/cherries_gold.jpg)
- Pie cherries are very tart and most
people prefer to use them in pies, jams, preserves, jellies and
butters, adding sugar to sweeten them.
See further down this page for a list of common cherry varieties and
their uses. Washington State, California and Oregon are the primary
sweet cherry growing states; they produce almost 90 percent the
U.S.'s cherry crop. Michigan produces about 74 percent of tart
cherry production. We have a master table of cherry varieties, sweet and sour (pie) in the
order in which they ripen.
Cherry
picking tips
- Pick ripe: Cherries, like peaches, continue to increase in size until they are
ripe. They should be picked when they are of maximum size and
full-flavored.
- But not under-ripe: Cherries picked before they are fully mature will not ripen
off the tree.
![Cherry tree in an orchard](../cherries/cherry%20tree.jpg)
- And not over-ripe: when they become soft, mushy or discolored.
- Pie or sweet: There are 2 main types of cherries: sweet cherries that taste sweet and tart when you eat them fresh, and sour (also called pie cherries)
which are too tart for most people to want to eat fresh.
- For all varieties of sweet cherries, the darker the cherry is the sweeter it will be. If you like more sour cherries the lighter red and
less ripe, the more tart it will be.
- Stem separation: Sweet cherries become firm when ripe (the stems usually stay
attached when you pick a sweet cherry), and sour cherries part easily
from the stem.
- Leave the stems on sweet cherries: Cherries that are to be shipped will keep longer if the stems are left
attached. They will store in the refrigerator for two to three days.
- Appearance: Look for heavy, firm cherries with a shiny skin and fresh
stem.
- But for immediate use, they can be picked with or without the stems.
How to pick the cherries from the tree
-
Gently grasp the berry with your fingers and thumb, and
- tug gently.
- If it is ripe, it will easily come off in your hand, with the stem
attached.
- Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 cherries.
-
Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers. Repeat the
picking process with both hands.
- Don't overfill your containers or
try to pack the cherries down.
General Picking Tips
![cherries](../cherries/cherries_washed.jpg)
Whether you pick Cherries from your own
trees, a market or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here
are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden cherries ready for harvest.
-
Avoid placing the picked cherries in the sunshine any
longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or
shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat.
- Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Cherries may be kept fresh
in the refrigerator for two or three days, depending upon the initial
quality of the berry.
Before you leave to go to the farm:
- Always call before you go to the farm - Cherries are affected by weather
(especially rain and cooler temperatures) more than most crops. And when
they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so
CALL first! Always call before you go to the farm - Cherries are affected by weather
(especially rain and cooler temperatures) more than most crops. And when
they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so
CALL first!
-
Get
there early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
- Bring containers -
Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Cherries, but they
may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to
bring
containers.
If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Cherries more than
3 inches deep will smush the lower cherries.
Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large
pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one
at right.
- Drinks and snacks - Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up
a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs
usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it
has been rainy.
When you get home
- DON'T wash the cherries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them
more prone to spoiling.
- Chill: Cherries are more perishable than blueberries or strawberries, so
make a point of refrigerating them as immediately as possible after
purchase. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not
to freeze cherries! (Fresh cherries are highly prone to freeze
damage).
- Spread out: Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft
or rotting cherries
- Eat or freeze: Even under ideal conditions cherries will only keep for a
few days in
a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, consume or freeze them as soon as
possible after purchase.
- See my
How to freeze berries
page. (Unless you're going to make jam right away)
- Now, get ready to make Cherry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with
our free Cherry preserves instructions - illustrated and
easy or cherry pie filling
Cherry Recipes, Canning, Jam, Jelly, and related resources![Cherry pie filling](../cherries/cherry_fillingjars.JPG)
Cherry varieties
For a master table of cherry varieties in the order in which they ripen, click here.
Sweet cherries:
- Bing cherries are
deep red in color and sweet.
- Blackgold - very late mid-season. Good for
eating fresh. Self-fertile.
- Brooks - a large, firm red cherry that tolerates hot climates. Sweet with both complex flavors and a sweet tart blackberry-like
taste.
![cherry variety](../cherries/cherries%20colors.jpg)
- Chelan - deep, mahogany red, heart-shaped, medium sized, sweet fruits, like Bing. Sweet, between 16 and 18 % sugar.
- Coral Champagne - very large, red, super sweet fruit that is often preferred to Bing. Firm, but juicy flesh with a coral pink color
center.
- Emperor Francis are White or Blush Sweet
Cherries, Early season, perfect for canning, making
jellies and jams, or making homemade maraschinos.
- Hartland, an early season dark cherry. A
Windsor cross, it was developed in New York
- Hedelfingen is a later season sweet cherry.
It has large, black fruit.
- Kristin cherries are a a mid-season cherry
developed in New York.
- Lambert Cherry is a large, black, late
harvest cherry of very good quality, compared to Bing.
- Lapins Cherry is a self-fruitful, large,
dark red sweet cherry from Canada with firm, good flavor. Ripens
a few days after Bing and needs only 400 chilling hours or less
to produce fruit.
- Orondo Ruby - A ruby red color with some gold coloring, this is a sweeter, brighter variant of the Rainier cherry. Marcus Griggs of
G&C farms found this in his Rainier cherry orchard. They have a brighter red color to them and a sweeter and a bit more acidic.
- Rainier cherries are golden yellow
with a pink or red blush. Rainier cherries are large and
sweet.
- Royalton cherries are large, dark cherry
mid-season cherries
- Sam - early ripening, large, black sweet
cherry. Ripens 11 days after Vista.
- Skeena
cherries are a late ripening variety. They are dark red, firm and juicy.
- Somerset cherries are medium sized, later
season cherries that are dark and firm.
- Sonata - Very large, black, and moderately
sweet fruit. Self-fertile.
- Staccato cherries are a deep purple-red and also a late season variety.
Staccato cherries are large and one of the sweetest varieties.
- Stella are a large, sweet, dark-red fruit
that ripens in mid-season
- Sweetheart cherries are a large, bright red late-season
variety, medium sweetness
- Sunburst - large, firm fruit. Old
productive variety. Self-fertile.
- Symphony - bright red, medium-sweet very
large fruit. Late season. Self-fertile.
- Tehranivee - mid-season cherry developed in
Ontario, Canada. Cracking can be a problem. Self-fertile.
- Ulster - medium-sized, firm, dark cherry,
Ripens about 2 days after Vista.
- Vandalay - Large, red fruit with an unusual
kidney shape. From Canada. Self-fertile.
- Viscount - medium-large, firm, good, dark
red cherries. Late season ripening.
- Vista - the cherries are very dark, almost
black. Large excellent-quality fruit. Mid season, ripens around
the last week in June.
- Viva - dark red, 3/4 inch fruit from
Canada. Ripens around July 4.
- White Gold are a blush cherry of moderate
to large size.
Pie, Sour or Tart Cherries (all different names for the same
thing!)
- Balaton Ujfeherto Furtos is a Hungarian
sour cherry with firm fruit that is suited to picking by hand
and eating fresh. Red skin and flesh. Ripens about 7 to 10 days
after Montmorency
- Danube Erdi Botermo has dark red fruit with
a unique sweet-tart flavor. Delicious eaten fresh or in baked
goods. Ripens about 1 week before Montmorency.
- Dark-juice-tarts has juice that is red
rather than clear in color.
- Jubileum - new, from Hungary. Very large
with a dark red flesh. Sweet for a tart cherry, not quite as
tart as Montmorency.
- Meteor - Medium-sized fruit with an odd
shaped pit. Ripen s3 to 7 days after Northstar.
- Montmorency, the most commonly grown,
traditional cherry for pies, baking and canning. Ripens around
the last week of June to the first week of July.
- Morello Sour Cherry is a late-ripening tart
dark red to nearly black cherry used for cooking, and sometimes
eaten fresh when fully ripe. Fruits in warm climates ( 500 hours
or fewer chilling hours below 45 F) Self-fruitful. USDA
- Northstar - Medium-sized, dark red fruit.
- Surefire - A new late blooming variety from
Cornell. Bright red, medium sized fruit.
Cherry Facts and Tips
- Cherries come in many colors besides red: there are also dark red
(almost black),
yellow, blush (mixed) and gold cherries.
- Cherries are a very healthy food; they are high Vitamin C and naturally
have no fat, cholesterol or sodium. They are also a good source of ivitamin
A, calcium, protein, and iron.
- Cherries are an antioxidant-rich foods.
- One cup of cherries is less than 90 calories and 3 grams of fiber.
- One cup of cherries has 260 mg of potassium which plays a key role in
muscle, heart, kidney, and nerve cell functions.
- Cherries are high in fiber. Half to one pound of cherry fruit per
day can provide twenty to thirty grams of fiber which is adequate for an
adult daily nutrition requirement.
- Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Cherries quickly
mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the
refrigerator.
- You can easily freeze cherries that you cannot use right away - just
wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much
air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this!
The cherries will keep for many months frozen without air. See my
How to freeze berries
page
- Anthocyanins in cherries are what give the fruit its red color and help
protect the heart and surrounding tissues
- Some research has found eating cherries to reduce pain and inflammation
associated with arthritis and gout