Cherries are the fruit of trees in the genus Prunus, closely related to plums, peaches, and apricots. The two main types grown for eating are sweet cherries (Prunus avium) and sour or tart cherries (Prunus cerasus). Sweet cherries are eaten fresh, while sour cherries are primarily used in cooking, baking, and preserves.
Cherries have been cultivated since ancient times across Europe and western Asia. Today they are grown commercially in temperate regions worldwide. In Australia, cherries are a premium summer fruit with a short season running from late November through February. The major growing regions are in Tasmania, the Adelaide Hills, Young in New South Wales, and the Yarra Valley in Victoria. Australian-grown cherries are also a significant export product, particularly to Asian markets where they are in high demand during the Southern Hemisphere summer.
How it's produced
Cherry trees are grown in orchards and require a cold winter dormancy period (chill hours) to produce fruit reliably. Trees are typically grafted onto dwarfing or semi-dwarfing rootstocks to keep them manageable for harvest. They are planted in well-drained soil and take three to five years to begin bearing fruit, reaching full production around year seven.
Cherry orchards require careful management of irrigation, pruning, pest control, and bird netting — birds are one of the biggest threats to a cherry crop. Rain near harvest can cause fruit splitting, so some operations use rain covers over the tree canopy. Cherries are hand-picked to avoid bruising, making them one of the more labour-intensive fruit crops. The harvest window for each variety is very short, often just one to two weeks.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
* Based on what it takes to produce, from farm to factory gate.
Keeping it
In the freezer: 240–360 days.
In the fridge: 2–3 days (from date of purchase).
Advice from Cubud’s own keeping notes — how to keep it, not a measured number.
What comes from this
Your household's take
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