After living in Yantai for 4 years, I've become what I call a "cherry snob". There, typically, around the first of May the cherry season begins. Street vendors everywhere with carts full of cherries. Sweet, delicious cherries. And for cheap. The peak of the season only lasts for about 2 weeks but you can still find quality cherries from street vendors for about a month afterward. Just be sure to taste before buying because after peak they sell the ones that just aren't as good and raise the price (because they are harder to find) making it seem like you are getting something special.
Over the years I've been back in America it's been really hard to find something that comes even close to what I would enjoy on a daily basis during cherry season in Yantai. I've tried from so many stores and almost always been disappointed. Once - exactly once - did I find anything that tasted as good as I was hoping for. And it costs $8 a pound! Ok, maybe that doesn't sound incredibly expensive to you but I am definitely used to paying $1 - $2 a pound for quality cherries in Yantai. Obviously, I was spoiled. haha
A few years back I got VERY frustrated with the lack of access to good cherries. I went on a huge internet search hoping to find a local cherry farm or something. And guess what! I found just that. I was so excited at discovering it that I went as soon as it opened for the season. I was trying not to get my hopes up in case it didn't meet my expectations... But I can tell you that it went above and beyond my expectations!
If you ever plan on going to pick your own cherries, here are my key bits of advice:
- Stick to the areas that they say is ripe. There might be less cherries available than the other sections but they know what they're talking about. The other sections will be more sour.
- If it's a little hard to pull the cherry off the stem, it's not going to be as sweet. Leave it be.
- For the red types of cherries, typically the darker red the sweeter it is.
- For the yellow types of cherries, typically the ones that aren't solid yellow (have discoloring or bruises) and look like they're dark inside (when you hold them in the light) are sweeter.
Ok, now for me to tell you about this amazing cherry farm! It's called Villa Del Sol and is in Leona Valley, CA. It's a bit of a drive out of the city but well worth it. Make a day of it and stop in Santa Clarita on the way home for some dinner. When they are open completely depends on when the cherries are ready to be picked. How long they are open depends on how many cherries grew that season. Sometimes they are open only weekdays for 2 - 3 weeks or until they run out of cherries. Other times they are open 7 days a week for 1+ months.
When you arrive at Villa Del Sol they will give you a large bucket that holds (I believe) up to 10 lbs of cherries. All the cherries you pick will go in this bucket for weighing when you are ready to leave. 10 lbs may seem like a lot... but trust me, you can fill them up very easily. And I've never had my cherries go bad from people being tired of cherries.
I suggest going on a weekday that isn't a holiday and arriving as early as you can. The crowds on weekends are insane. Also, Leona Valley gets hooooooooot during the cherry season. Even with the tree coverage, you'll be sweating in no time. Arriving early gives you time to walk through leisurely and find the best spots to pick from instead of rushing and just picking whatever you can get at. You probably should bring a bottle of water along as well.
As an added bonus, they also sell raw honey from their private bee hives. This stuff is delicious!
If you live in the LA area and want to go with me to the cherry farm sometime - let me know! I'm always looking for excuses to go.
Commentaires