We grow six varieties of cherry on our orchard in Cromwell, Central Otago. They ripen one after another from early December to late February, which is why the cherries in your box depend on the delivery date you choose. As a rule, the cherries get bigger, firmer and sweeter as the season goes on.
Christmas cherries: Sonnet, Santina and Samba
Picked: early December to Christmas.
These three early varieties are smaller, softer and very sweet. The harvest is small, so pre-Christmas boxes are limited and are the first to sell out each season.
Delivery windows: 18 December and 22 to 24 December.
Lapins
Picked: New Year to about 10 January.
Big, dark and sweet. Lapins is a smaller harvest, and it is the cherry most likely to be in your box in the first full week of January.
Delivery window: 6 to 8 January.
Sweetheart
Picked: mid to late January.
Sweetheart is our most popular cherry. It is very sweet and firm, and it keeps the longest. This is peak harvest, when we pick more fruit than at any other time of the season.
Delivery windows: 12 to 15 January, 19 to 22 January and 26 to 29 January.
Staccato
Picked: February.
Staccato is our most prized cherry: the largest, sweetest and crunchiest we grow. It is a good reason to keep ordering after the holidays are over.
Delivery windows: 2 to 5 February, 9 to 12 February and 16 to 19 February.
How we decide when to pick
We check sugar levels with refractometers and test firmness before we pick. Your cherries are then picked and packed for your delivery window and sent overnight, so they reach you as close to picking as possible.
Can I choose my variety?
Not exactly. We pick whatever is at its best on the day, so the variety is never guaranteed. Choosing your delivery window is the best way to steer it:
- For Lapins, choose 6 to 8 January.
- For Sweetheart, choose any window from 12 to 29 January.
- For Staccato, choose a February window.
Want to taste the difference? Order a box for more than one date on our order page and compare them through the summer.
For the full list of this season's dates and the best time to order, see when is cherry season in New Zealand.