Regardless of whether you have sweet or sour cherries in your garden, enjoying cherries is a symbol of summer. The drupes are among the early fruit varieties that herald the season. This can be expanded by a coordinated combination of different varieties.
The cherry season starts in May
garden season
In Germany, the cherry blossom season extends from April to May, with the exact period depending on the region and the climate. A tree blooms for more than three weeks. The branches of sweet cherries are covered with blossoms about two weeks earlier than those of sour cherries. Accordingly, the peak season for cherries is between June and July. Different harvest times are possible due to the variety of varieties. The drupes have low season in May and August.
cherry weeks
This system describes the harvest times of the cherry varieties, with a week comprising 15 days. It goes back to the cherry pomologist Truchsess von Wetzhausen, who set binding ripening times for Germany. The 'earliest of the marks' is the starting variety for the cherry season, which usually begins in early May. Depending on the region and climatic conditions, the first cherries will be ripe sooner or later.
Cherry varieties and their maturity:
- early varieties (cherry week 1 to 4): 'Bernhard Nette', 'Rivers Frühe' and 'Kaiserkirsche'
- medium varieties (cherry week 5 to 7): 'Bopparder Hängige', 'Spanish from the Middle Rhine' and 'Diemitzer Amarelle'
- late varieties (cherry week 8 to 10): 'Filsen Gold Pearl', 'Corous Vistula' and 'Beauty of Chatenay'
The range of varieties is expanding. There are now early-ripening varieties that reach full maturity before the reference variety is harvested. Such varieties are marked with the note that they ripen before the first cherry week. The 'Rote Laternte' is a cartilaginous cherry, which is currently considered the latest cherry to be harvested in Germany. Their fruit ripening extends from the tenth to the twelfth cherry week.
harvest tips
As soon as the fruit can be easily detached from the base of the stalk, it is fully ripe. Cherries are only picked when they are ready to eat, as they are not climatic fruits and therefore do not ripen. In contrast to apples, pears or plums, stone fruits ripen evenly on the tree. You can pick the fruit over a period of one to two weeks, although mature specimens should not hang for too long. It is important that you harvest cherries at the right time.
When cherries pop
The stone fruit is rich in dissolved substances such as fruit acids and sugar. Rainwater, on the other hand, contains dissolved minerals in very low concentrations. When the water comes into contact with the fruit, the concentration equalizes. The water penetrates the pulp, so that the volume of the fruit increases considerably. This puts tension on the outer skin. Once the maximum stress point has been reached, the shell ruptures.
tips
When ripe for consumption, the sugar content is particularly high, so that the risk of bursting also reaches its maximum. So always keep an eye on the weather and harvest on time.