Cereza del Jerte

Appearance & taste

The cherries form two groups. The “Picota” cherries of the varieties Ambrunés, Pico Negro, Pico Colorado and Pico Limón Negro come away from the stalk by themselves when picked, according to the specification without losing quality or shelf life. Navalinda, Van, Lapins and Burlat are picked with the stalk.

The skin is reddish, usually wine-red or purple. The firm, crisp flesh is, depending on the variety, red with red juice or yellow to beige with colourless juice. The fruits are kidney-shaped, flattened, round or elongated; the Picota varieties Pico Negro, Pico Colorado and Pico Limón Negro are elongated. They measure at least 21 mm and, depending on the variety, have an average sugar content of 14 to 21 °Brix. Only cherries of the “Extra” class are marketed.

Production

The trees mostly stand on small, sometimes tiny terraces with stone walls on steep slopes, where machines can hardly be used. Ploughing, fertilising, pruning and the harvest by hand take place in the area, mostly on small and family farms. Depending on variety and location, the cherries ripen between late April and early August; for the same variety, ripening times can be more than 40 days apart.

Packing takes place in the area. Each pack is uniform in origin, variety, quality and size. The “Picota del Jerte” logo may only be used for the Picota varieties, the “Cereza del Jerte” logo for all cherries.

Origin & history

The area extends from the lowest parts of the three valleys to above 1,200 m; in La Vera, farms below 500 m are excluded, in the Ambroz valley those below 600 m. According to the specification, the sites from 600 m upwards are best suited to the Picota cherries. The soils are sandy-loamy, loose and acidic with a pH of 5 to 5.5; the climate is a humid Mediterranean climate with a short dry period in July and August. The native varieties exist practically only here; according to the specification, attempts to grow them elsewhere have had little success. Burlat and Van have been grown since the 1960s, Lapins since the 1980s.

The cherry tree was probably introduced by the Arabs; reliable evidence exists from the 14th century. On 2 June 1352, a delegation of the Spanish king was served trout and cherries in a village in the area. In the 16th century, the physician Luis de Toro praised the size, colour and taste of the cherries from the Jerte valley. When ink disease destroyed the sweet chestnuts in the 18th century, the cherry became the economic alternative; at the end of the 18th and throughout the 19th century, the area under cultivation grew steadily in all three valleys.