The Jerte Picota Cherry is a special variety of cherry that is native to the Jerte Valley in Northern Extremadura, Spain. The journey from cherry trees to UK homes is steeped in tradition and history.
The Picota Cherry story begins in the beautiful valley of Jerte, 200km west of Madrid. This area is famous for the incredible cherry blossom of more than a million trees that takes place each year. The blossom and harvest follow a natural growing season, which is why the arrival of the Picota Cherry changes each year. The timing depends on weather conditions during winter, but generally, the trees blossom from the end of March to the beginning of April.
As the weather begins to warm, the beautiful, red cherries start to form, and the colour of the valley transforms from a dazzling white to a colourful mix of red and green. With the privileged climate, the Jerte Picota Cherry begins to develop into the best cherries from Spain.
When the cherries are ready to be harvested at optimum ripeness, they are hand-picked off the trees, leaving the stalks behind, and placed into chestnut baskets. This method has been handed down from generation to generation. The cherries are then sorted one-by-one, at the base of the trees, as the farmers select only the best ones to be sold and eaten. The Picota Cherries are then packaged in the Jerte Valley and shipped off to their final destinations.
Jerte Picota Cherries are usually available from the end of June until the beginning of August in the UK, and they are expected to arrive in stores from the beginning of July this year. As a 100% natural product, these delicious and sweet cherries are the perfect fruit to enjoy this summer.
Follow @PicotaCherries on Twitter or Facebook for the latest updates on their arrival in UK stores (Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi).
