Laura Geen, Co-Owner of Jealous Fruits, inspecting this year's Regina crop
As of Saturday July 25th 2020, we completed the early part of our harvest, including the Satins, Suite Notes, and the early ripening Lapin blocks in Kelowna. This early fruit represents 15% of our crop, and we are appreciative of customer support to date. We understand when Washington is in peak that customers have lots of choices, and are honoured by those of you who continue to choose our cherries. Today, Sunday July 26th , we are excited to be starting on our main harvest, with so much volume still to go. Coming off the trees this week are Kordia, Lapins, Regina and Skeena. We are excited to be ramping up the volume of USA bound shipments toward the end of this coming week. Air freight demand continues strong. The Lapins in particular have sea freight suitable fruit, and we will be packing ocean containers to meet demand for this variety.
Lapin Cherries
Lapins are a born in BC variety, that is particularly well suited to the moderate temperatures, and unique soil conditions in our area. This year’s Lapin crop is peaking on 9 row, and also have a significant portion of 8.5 row.
Packed Kordia Cherries
Kordia is a niche variety from the Czech Republic, which is extremely popular in Asian markets. Very high sugar levels, the heart shape, and the long stems, all combine to give this cherry a strong following.
Packed Skeena Cherries
Skeena of course has a strong following, with customers appreciating it’s firm bite, strong flavour profile, and excellent storability. We have only limited volumes of Skeena this coming week, with most of our Skeenas being in later blocks, ripening into August.
Regina cherries 7 days pre-harvest
Jealous Fruits is the largest Regina producer in Canada, and this year’s crop came through the recent winter completely unscathed. We have Reginas planted from 1400 feet elevation through to 2600 feet, giving us a continuous 14 day supply. This variety features prominently in recent plantings, and production will be ramping up sharply in years to come. Regina is a heart shaped cherry, with high sugar levels, and a very firm meaty texture. Like Kordia, this variety also has a remarkably long stem, enhancing the luxury appearance of the cherry.