Good morning!
Seasons are intense times, but you have to make the most of them.
Yesterday I was talking to Sujan, who is up to his ears in cherries, and he told me the usual when a good campaign is on: we are happy, but with a lot of work.
And he's right. When the cherry season arrives, the field goes into marathon mode with a sprint included.
I've already told you that his cherries are from the mountains, but there are some peculiarities about the altitude that are very closely linked to the harvest...
Sujan's and Alexander's cherries grow on high-altitude farms, from 500 to 850 meters above sea level.
This mountain ladder is precisely the trick to organizing without going crazy.
They start from below, where the heat arrives earlier and the trees ripen first, and then they go up farm by farm as they see the color. The good thing is that this way the harvest is staggered.
Not everything turns red at once and you can proceed with good calm, the kind that allows you to choose well. In addition, imagine that this ascent has its charm, because every week the landscape changes, as does the climate.
As Sujan told me: you can feel the cool breeze on your face when we are already at the top ⛰️
But let's get back to the important part: picking the cherry at its optimal point of ripeness, which on Sujan and Alexander's farm is marked between 4 and 5 on the color grading.
Translated for everyone, it's that decisive red, almost crimson, that looks at you and tells you to eat me.
In the common market, they usually cut them a little earlier so that they are firmer and can withstand long journeys and nights in cold storage. We play a different game.
Since the fruit doesn't travel or sleep in cold storage and goes directly from the tree to your box, we can afford the luxury of waiting a little longer. We gain flavor, juiciness, and that crunch that sounds like a bell of joy.
Here, the eye is fine-tuned to 4 and a half, which is already expert level 🍒
One thing that almost no one talks about and that I think is key: Cherries do not improve once picked. It's not like a banana that ripens on your counter. What you get from the tree is what you put in your mouth.
That's why our way of working makes a difference. Every morning I review orders and we go out to harvest what you have requested. Harvested to order, by hand, and at the right point.
Altitude helps more than it seems. Below, ripening is fast, and above, it's a good, slow pace. That gives room to choose the perfect day on each farm.
Whether it's at 550 meters or already up to 700. When you hit 4 or 5, you notice that the sweetness is full and the acidity is balanced. Neither cloying nor weak. It's the real moment.
And then there's our logistics. We harvest in the morning and prepare orders on the fly so they leave as soon as possible. No cold storage, no fruit sleeping, no fuss.
You receive it almost as if you had come to pick it yourself from the field. If you get one with that dark, velvety sheen, save the first bite for it. You'll see why we're so insistent on the color.
From Valencia, with the help of colleagues throughout Spain, we continue to do things the way our elders taught us. With sense and care.
Thank you for being on the other side and for trusting this way of understanding the countryside.
We will continue here, waking up early so that flavor and freshness dominate your table.
Have a great day and, if you get a cherry that stains your fingers, consider it a medal...
A big hug,
