Cherry Picking

[Diane]

Yippee! The cherry season is here and the cherries are ripe for the picking!

 

We went up to Lenswood area (in the hills) on Sunday and picked us two big bucketloads and they are delicious! If you've not tried it yet, it's definitely my summer activity of choice - the cherries keep for about two weeks in the fridge (if you can resist them that long) and of course are great cooked into pies, or pickled in alcohol, or just floated in your glass of sparkling white!

 

$8/$9 a kilo (depending on variety) - everything provided, picking under nets, helpful friendly people!

 

We went to Marble Hill last year, and Stella Creek yesterday - different varieties ripen at different times so a phone call before you go is worthwhile.

 

Lovely area, great twisty turny drive there too!

 

here's the link to the map:

http://www.cherriessa.com.au/file/CGSA_web_08.pdf

 

Diane

[Guest Roo1]

Sounds like a great family day out.

 

I nipped into Foodland today and they are selling cherries at $14.99 a kilo.............so I'm all for saving some money :tonguexmas:

 

:emoticon-signxmas:

 

Just loving these xmas smilies.......lol

 

Judi x

[Guest Emu]

Thanks for that. I love cheries! Can't wait to get to Adelaide to eat all that amazing fruit.

[Guest fredhargreaves]

$8 is a lot for PYO. At Forest Range Cherries they were never more than $6 last year even though, as has been observed, shop prices were quite high a lot of the time.

 

In my opinion they are the best for PYO cherries - they were around before any of the others and they still have the best prices. They also have sour cherries, which come later in the season, and are the only thing for jam and alcoholic cherry concoctions.

 

The owner is a pom. If you ask him he will give you recipes for the alcoholic concoctions which he in turn got from his customers of various nationalities - i.e. authentic ones from their homlelands.

 

You can check when they have stuff available on their website http://www.cherries.net.au. The season is mainly thru December but check because it varies a lot from year to year.

[Guest Emu]

When is cherry season? Only December?

They had it in Woolworths for $9.99 a Kilo the other day, I had a little bit, but is too expensive ...

I can't wait that long ...

I miss cherries ;o(

[Rachiegarlo]

Those cherries are imports from the US. It usually says in small writing on the price card. Our cherry (plus stone fruit) season is Nov to Feb usually. Sometimes a little later depending on the season and will be in the shops longer due to storage of things like grapes n plums n things.

[Guest Emu]

Thank you for your reply ;o)

Will look forward to it and go into the Hills and do some cherry picking.

[Diane]

Just thought I'd bump this old thread up as been out cherry picking this afternoon, loads on the trees. Went to Forest Range Cherries this time (Stella Creek is another good one, as is Marble Hill Cherries) - cherries were $6 a kilo but Forest Range do charge entrance fee of $3 an adult and $2 a child (one free entry per 5 kilos picked) - which is apparently to allow you to eat some as you pick! We didn't pay entry fees at Stella Creek last year, but don't know about their policies this year. We picked about 6kilos. Will probably be heading back nearer Christmas, as they last well for about two weeks in the fridge.

 

If you wondered where everyone in Adelaide of ethnic origin spends their Saturday afternoons, I reckon it's Forest Range Cherries!! Never heard so many different languages in one place!!

 

A good site is www.cherriessa.com.au

 

Diane xx

[Guest guest569]

which do you recomend Diane ? Address aswell if you could please. Might make an afternoon of it tomorrow after i've got all the outside xmas lights up.

[Diane]

Well, this is the Forest Range one:

Forest Range Cherries

Location: Plummers Road, Forest Range

Phone: 8389 8500

Web: www.cherries.net.au

(It was on page 123 of my CBD if that's any help!)

 

and Stella Creek was a little further up the same road:

Stella Creek Cherry Orchard

Location: Plummers Road, Forest Range ( 1.8kms from the Lobethal Road on top of the ridge - look for the Stella Creek sign at our entrance)

Phone: 08 8389 8572

Email:

 

Both are good, both supply buckets so you don't need to take anything with you really. Both have quite steep slopes up to the trees so wear comfortable shoes, sun cream etc.

 

It's a lovely area, particularly at this time of the year, but if any of your passengers suffer from car sickness, might be worth a pill or two before the trip as they're very twisty turny roads up that way!

 

Mind you, stuffed so many of the damn things while I was picking that even the thought of cherries right now makes me feel a little queasy!!!

[Diane]

By the way, if you're making a day of it, the Scenic Hotel at Norton Summit does a nice lunch, or lovely cakes!

[Guest fredhargreaves]

Diane - I was there too today. I checked the other places mentioned above before setting out. Marble Hill wanted $4 entry (refunded over 3kg) and $9 !!! per kg for the cherries. Stella Creek wanted $6 for cracked cherries and $7 for vega (a white one which I don't like - they're watery and not very sweet) and $8 for Rons Seedling which his newsletter describes as "medium" sized - so I assumed that was sales talk for small.

 

Anyway on the strength of that I went to Forest Range Cherries, wher it was a flat $6 for everything - I got the variety Lapins I think, which usually come much later - they were fantastic and easy to pick, although you had to schlep up the hill to get to them. Also I picked up my all time favourite Rainier which is a white one but really sweet - I have never been able to get them anywhere else.

 

As far as entry fees go I have never had to pay. 5kg is just a normal househaold bucket full and I can pick that in less than an hour - although I have to admit to being a bit of a cherry fiend.

 

You are right about it being cosmopolitan there. I remember the owner telling me one year that if he put up a sign saying "no Anglo-Saxons allowed" it would hardly affect his business. Anyway I didn't get to talk to the owner this time which was a pity as he's a pom and a laugh a minute.

 

Anyway, I'm not trying to put you off the others, but whichever you fancy I would go soon because from what I saw the season won't last very long this year.

[Guest Lulujim]

Hi, we went to Forest Range Cherries today - and they were closed - all cherries ave been picked!! So we drove further up and went to Stella Creek Cherries which was great. It got very busy when we left (11.30ish) so if you want to go and pick some cherries I recommend yuo go early and soon before all their cherries go too!!

Afterwards we drove to Loberthal and had a look around the market, and picked up even more food - There's a great cafe there, and just up the main high street there's a motorbike cafe with THE nicest man running it.

It has a play area for kids (cubby house with toys inside), and they couldn't do enough to accommodate us, including 2x fussy kids!! It mainly does hot dogs, chips, yiros, burgers, cakes etc.. but absolutely delicious and great quality - I highly recommend!

 

Anyway, a BIG thank you to the people who have contributed to this thread - without it we wouldn't have known about the cherries and had a wonderful family day - thank you!

[Guest soggy]

Hi, we went to Forest Range Cherries today - and they were closed - all cherries ave been picked!! So we drove further up and went to Stella Creek Cherries which was great. It got very busy when we left (11.30ish) so if you want to go and pick some cherries I recommend yuo go early and soon before all their cherries go too!!

Afterwards we drove to Loberthal and had a look around the market, and picked up even more food - There's a great cafe there, and just up the main high street there's a motorbike cafe with THE nicest man running it.

It has a play area for kids (cubby house with toys inside), and they couldn't do enough to accommodate us, including 2x fussy kids!! It mainly does hot dogs, chips, yiros, burgers, cakes etc.. but absolutely delicious and great quality - I highly recommend!

 

Anyway, a BIG thank you to the people who have contributed to this thread - without it we wouldn't have known about the cherries and had a wonderful family day - thank you!

 

I was at forest range on Wednesday, he told me he would close at the weekend as he did not have enough for the amount of people who come at the weekend, but he said he would be open again next during this week and had some more not ripe yet so still some more picking to go.:)

Simon

[Guest Lulujim]

Ah - I see! maybe he should put something on his website - hate to think how many people saw the 'All Cherries Picked' sign and won't come bak until next year??

[Diane]

Glad you found some at Stella Creek anyway - I did see in the 'tiser yesterday that Forest Range were saying they wouldn't be open for picking at the weekends for the time being. I'm going to have to go back again at some point as the huge amount we picked (probably us that caused them to run out!) are going fast!!

 

By the way, on the Cherries SA website they have some great recipes - I tried the "Clafouti" recipe today and it was scrummy - like a kind of baked cheesecake. Here's the link to that http://cherriessa.com.au/cherry_recipes.html

[Guest soggy]

Ah - I see! maybe he should put something on his website - hate to think how many people saw the 'All Cherries Picked' sign and won't come bak until next year??

 

If you phone 8389 8500 they have an answer phone message that gives you the latest info,

 

Simon:)

[Guest Trakki]

Hi, we went to Forest Range Cherries today - and they were closed - all cherries ave been picked!! So we drove further up and went to Stella Creek Cherries which was great. It got very busy when we left (11.30ish) so if you want to go and pick some cherries I recommend yuo go early and soon before all their cherries go too!!

Afterwards we drove to Loberthal and had a look around the market, and picked up even more food - There's a great cafe there, and just up the main high street there's a motorbike cafe with THE nicest man running it.

It has a play area for kids (cubby house with toys inside), and they couldn't do enough to accommodate us, including 2x fussy kids!! It mainly does hot dogs, chips, yiros, burgers, cakes etc.. but absolutely delicious and great quality - I highly recommend!

 

Anyway, a BIG thank you to the people who have contributed to this thread - without it we wouldn't have known about the cherries and had a wonderful family day - thank you!

how much did it cost you, thinking of taking the kids during the week. Although 4 kids and a baby ct a cherry picking place! MAdness

[Guest Lulujim]

They only charged us for james and myself - $4 each - and we picked enough cherries to get 1 charge refunded We got a LOT of cherries - for about $20 dollars. We've made cakes, James has made a chilli & cherry sauce and am making jam today!! Will be eating cherries for weeks!

The kids will love it - mags got so in to the picking she didn't even think about running off!

[Guest Trakki]

that gives me hope for Joe then lol

[Guest fredhargreaves]

Hi all - not surprised that Forest Range are running out of cherries. According to their website they are open Friday but not the weekend and not sure after that. I am going to ring them and leave a message - they will normally ring back - in the hope that I can go one day next week, especially to get sour cherries, which are not for eating but for jam and booze. The sour cherries normally come latish and they were well short of ripe when I was there - prolly OK by now.

 

BTW I followed the link for the clafoutis reciipe. That's weird - 1: that's not how you spell it - it's clafoutis with an s which is not pronounced. 2: it's masculine not feminine - i.e. le clafoutis 3: the recipe is full of wierd stuff which doesn't belong in clafoutis - Greek yogurt???. I have been making this stuff for years - Forest Range Cherries used to have a recipe sheet for it on their counter - they don't seem to any more but it's on thier website - http://www.cherries.net.au/recipes.html. I checked by googling for French language recipes, of which there are many (i.e. google clafoutis recette) and found that was pretty much the same as most of those.

 

There is also an American thing called cobbler which is only slightly different.

[Guest fredhargreaves]

BTW I agree, the Scenic Hotel is very good both as a pub and a restaurant. They have a Coopers brown ale on tap - quite close to proper English beer.

[Diane]

Well, I'm not one for great authenticity in recipes - and as traditionally the cherries in clafoutis are left unpitted I'm quite happy to try a different version! Perhaps that's why they spelt it differently..!!! It was very tasty with the greek yoghurt anyway, and I didn't risk breaking a tooth on a stone either!! :santa1:

[Guest fredhargreaves]

Hi Diane - re clafoutis - not wishing to quibble but you may have made a nice cherry pudding but you didn't make clafoutis. Clafoutis is special. The cherries bubble in the oven and give off their juices to surrounding mixture which forms a sort of firm paste with the consistency of fudge. it also forms a crust around the outside so that the uninitiated might think you started with a pastry base.

 

In French home-cooking the pits are left in - theoretically some of the almondy flavour from the pits comes through. I think really it's just so that mum doesn't spend all summer pitting cherries. In europe I have had it served both ways both at folks' homes and in restaurants. Here I have only ever found it one time at the cafe in the art gallery on North Terrace, where the pits were omitted. You can make up for the pit taste with a dash of almond essence but don't overdo it.

 

Another quibble I have with that recipe page is the one above la clafouti (sic). Sour cherries go brilliantly with duck - I did it last year for xmas. The title of the recipe starts off OK but in the body of the recipe is rubbish - it doesn't specify sour as such and also just ends up sprinkling them all over it. To make a sour cherry sauce is easy - you just pit them (ugh) and boil them up with only a small amount of sugar. Trouble is I have only been able to get them here PYO. Not much better in the UK but I used to live on the continent where there is much more variety of fruit in the shops.

[Diane]

Just thought I'd bump this up for newbies who haven't experienced the joys of pick your own cherries in the Hills before! 2010/2011 season just getting underway now (I'll be the one sitting under a cherry tree eating my way through a bucket-load!)