Presenting: The SanLucar Cherries

Growing SanLucar Cherries

• We at SanLucar love cherries. And especially when they are crispy-fresh, aromatic-sweet and juicy. Such a taste experience does not come by chance – but from plenty of sun and dry weather! We are pleased to fulfil this wish. Namely, in sunny growing regions around the Mediterranean, such as Turkey, Spain and Italy. But we also have some cherry orchards in Germany, Chile, USA and Canada. Because cherries react very sensitively to moisture, we protect them against damp weather with canopies, e.g. in Germany. Raindrops on the fine skin are like magnifying glasses in the sun and cause the cherries to burst.

• SanLucar only harvests the fruits when they are bright matt-red all-round, full-bodied and really sweet. And by picked by hand, in order to choose only the best. It’s very important that the stem is still on because this protects the cherries from “bleeding, i.e. losing juice. They are then immediately cooled down to about 3 degrees, so they remain crisp and retain their full flavour.

How to store cherries properly

• Cherries are not climacteric fruits and do not ripen after harvesting. The best way to eat the fruit is to eat it when it’s crispy-fresh – then their flavour is also the most intense!
• Are you not planning to eat the cherries immediately? No problem! In a closed container, they keep – unwashed and stored cool –for a few more days.

Interesting facts

• The sweet cherry is an ideal snack. But is also excellent for other things, e.g. delicious jam, cake or juice.
• With cherries, make sure that the stem is green. This is what allows you to see how fresh it is. In addition, it should have a matte shine.
• Its origin is in Eurasia. Today’s crop varieties of sweet cherries are from different strains of the wild cherry and wild forms of the sour cherry.