Once ripened from the intense Central Otago sun shine, the cherries are delicately hand picked by our staff and then sent to our onsite grading packhouse. Our most popular varieties include the dark, sweet, firm and crunchy variety of Lapin, which can often reach to a diameter of 38mm. Other varities include Bing, Sweet Valentine, Sonnet, Stella, Sweetheart, Staccato, Dawson, Lambert and many others.
Within our state of the art packhouse, we use advanced technology developed by Compac Sorting Equipment to accurately size and grade every cherry. Each individual cherry is photographed by colour and infered cameras, upto 96 images per cherry, to view upto 100% of the cherries surface . These photographs are then assessed with leading software algorithms and advanced machine learning and directed to the correct size and grade. The result; The consumer recieves only perfect cherries.
After being assessed and sorted by Compac's sorting technology, the cherries are checked again by staff and workers. Any remaining defected cherries will be removed.Apply For A Job
Once checked by our staff, the cherries are then carefully packaged, and sent to our exclusive exporter, Freshco.Buy Cherries
Fresh cherries should be bright, shiny and plump. Try to find cherries that do not have cuts, blemishes, bruises, or scars and have green, healthy looking stems. Cherries with stems that come off easily or are dry or brown will not last as long.
Store unwashed cherries in a plastic bag in the fridge, and then wash them before eating. Fresh cherries can last between two and four days, longer if they are kept in the fridge.
Be sure to remove the pip first, otherwise the cherries can take on an almond flavour. You can freeze whole cherries, without the pips in a 40% syrup mix; Add 4 Cups of water to 3 Cups of sugar and mix with 1/2 Teaspoon of citrus juice per litre of liquid to make the syrup. You can also freeze cherries in plastic bags with all the air removed. To keep the cherries separate, freeze them first on a baking tray, and then store them in bags.
When baking with cherries, there may be a blue discolouration caused by a chemical reaction between the cherries and alkalis like baking powder or baking soda. You can counteract this by adding an acidic element like lemon juice, or substituting buttermilk or sour cream for milk. When using dried cherries, you can plump them up by covering them with hot water and leaving them to steep for half an hour.
93 Rock View Road, Alexandra RD3, 9393