Early cherries 'flying off the shelves'

Freeway Orchard owner Kristin Jackson checks the taste of the first of the season’s cherries picked for her Cromwell orchard shop.

Mrs Jackson said the season was on par with other years. Picking usually started in mid to late November and that was what happened this year.

The first variety was earlise and they were flying off the shelves at her orchard shop yesterday. As other varieties ripened at different times, there would be cherries available until mid-February, she said.

Getting the fruit harvested was no problem this year. There were plenty of people wanting work on the orchard and she had been turning away people looking for work every day.