cherries

[heeby]

hello to every one
could anyone tell me if cherries will ripen off the tree if i pick them when they're orange to light red ,the tree is on public land and what with the birds and kids knocking them off before they're ripe im at the back of the queue(sp) also would i have to de-stone them before making wine with them thankyou
mark

[jlsherman55]

In the tree I picked from the sweet ones near the top where eaten by bird, but near the bottom the didn't Look like they where touched, and these cheeries where on their so long that some of they began to rot.

Also These really didn't fall off when shakened Picking wasn't as easy As just shaking them down, but the branches are so flexible I could pull them down 15feet. (You could use a rope for that I used a stick I found)

Are they sour the other tree was sour, but just alittle, and the birds didn't seem to eat them At all, but their was the sweet ones just in the back yard.

I would destone them, and it's recomended to do that if you freeze them Maybe it makes the job harder It did when I tryed to Unpeal 20 Lbs of frozzen bannana's

[lockwood1956]

Hey heeby
I dont think they will ripen off the tree...they may go darker etc but the sugar contebnt will not rise as it would ripening on the tree.

We got beaten to our cherries by the birds again last week, I really must net that tree next year.

regards
Bob

[heeby]

thanks to both of you for the replies i actually picked a handfull the other day and they havent changed at all are, the sweet ones better for wine it seems they would be but what do i know

[StockeyDAW]

hello to every one
could anyone tell me if cherries will ripen off the tree if i pick them when they're orange to light red ,the tree is on public land and what with the birds and kids knocking them off before they're ripe im at the back of the queue(sp) also would i have to de-stone them before making wine with them thankyou
mark

The cherries on this tree could already be ripe. All cherries are not red before they are ripe. Some are yellow to orange to pink- it depends on the cultivar of the tree of what the cherries look like when they are ripe. I always destone my cherries before using them for wine. However, many use them with their pits intact. In any case if you leave the pits in the cherries make sure the pits are not broken or chipped as they could impart a bitter taste to the wine and also it is easier if the cherries are frozen before they are used or crushed lightly to break the skin and expose the pulp to make it easier for the yeast to devour the juices and sugars.

I like to blend both sweet and sour cherries when making my cherry wine. DAW