Have you ever tried Greek cherries before? When I think of Greece, I typically think of olives and olive oil, feta cheese, and gyros. Not cherries. I never even knew that Greece grew cherries!
However, thanks to the Charming Taste of Europe, I learned all about Greek cherries. The Charming Taste of Europe campaign aims to raise awareness of select European wines and fresh fruits. This campaign project specifically highlights wine from Italy and France and cherries and kiwis from Greece.
*Thank you to the European Union and the Charming Taste of Europe for sponsoring this post.
What are Greek cherries?
You might be thinking, “What are Greek cherries exactly?” First, if you’ve never had a cherry, it is a small, round stone-fruit that contains a hard pit in the middle. There are many different varieties of cherries, each with a different taste. Most cherries are dark red to bright red, although some varieties are yellow. The tastes range from sweet to tart, with many falling in the middle as both sweet and tart.
The Greek cherries produced in Greece are known for their deep red color and juicy flesh. The main cherry variety in Greece is the Burlat, but over the recent years, more cherry varieties have been introduced.
Where are the Greek cherries?
The majority of cherries in Greece are produced in Northern Greece, with most of the production in Central Macedonia. Pieria, Pella, and Imathia are some of the main region growing cherries s in Macedonia. Did you know that Greece is ranked 10th in the world for cherry production?
On this trip, I visited The Agriculture Cooperative (A.C) of Rachi Pierias, “O AGIOS LOUKAS.” Rachi is a village in Pieria, and home to one of the biggest and highest producing cooperatives in Greece. The A.C of Rachi Pierias was founded in 1978, and today it includes 250 members. In addition to Greek cherries, they also cultivate apricots and apples. The cherry orchard alone now spans 200 hectares. That is equivalent to 2 million square meters!
The Cooperative cultivates various types of cherries, including Burlat, Grace Star, Lapins, Sweet Aryanna, and Ferrovia. They market their cherries under the brand name “Cherries from Rachi Olympus.” Their policy? Show full respect to the producer, consumer, and environment.
How are the cherries harvested?
Every year, new Greek cherry trees are planted in the cherry fields. These cherries grow in the spring and generally ripen by late May to early June for harvesting. When the cherries are ripe, farmers and workers will pick each cherry by hand!
We visited one of the family-owned fields and watched the family cheerfully picking cherries under the sun. During the cherry harvesting season, they start their morning around 6 AM and pick cherries all day until the late afternoon. We picked a few alongside them and sampled the Greek cherries. The cherries were plump, juicy, and more sweet than tart.
It was a hot day, and the cherries were such a refreshing treat! As we left to head back to the production center, the sweet family gifted us cherries to take home!
How are the cherries packed?
Back at the warehouse, Caliope, our guide, described the process of preparing the cherries for export. When the cherries arrive onsite, workers first label and then refrigerate them in the hydrocooler to keep the cherries fresh. Then, the cherries are submerged in 2-3° C water to prevent cracks in the cherries. A calibrating machine with cameras then calibrates and separates the cherries by size. Following that, workers inspect each cherry to remove any bad ones. Finally, the cherries are boxed and kept in a cold room per strict guidelines until they’re picked up or shipped.
Unfortunately, this year the Greek cherries ripened (and will ripen) later than usual due to weather conditions, so we did not see the sorting and packaging in action.
Once the cherries are boxed and ready to go, they are sold locally and exported to various countries around Europe and Asia. The A.C of of Rachi Pierias is hoping to also expand to the United States and Canada in the future.
How should you eat Greek cherries?
Cherries can be eaten in a variety of ways! My favorite way to enjoy a sweet, cold cherry straight from the refrigerator. Make sure to rinse the cherry and remove the inedible pit before eating. If stored properly, fresh cherries can last in the fridge for 5-7 days. If left out, the cherries will typically last a couple of days at most.
You can also add cherries as toppings to various things like salads, entrees, and even ice cream sundaes and floats!
Other people cook them into sauces, make them into preserves or bake them into desserts like cherry pie or cherry tarts.
The Greeks eat something called spoon sweets, which are sweet preserves served in a spoon. They usually serve these spoon sweets to guests by the teaspoon with coffee, tea, or water as a sign of hospitality. Most of them are made from fruits, including sweet and sour cherries. It’s a great way to use your Greek cherries!
Did you know that Greece produces so many cherries? And what’s your favorite way to enjoy cherries? Tell me in the comments below or DM me on my Instagram @chatwithcat!