·       THIS STANDARD APPLIES TO CHERRIES OF VARIETIES (CULTIVARS) GROWN FROM PRUNUS AVIUM (L.) L. AND PRUNUS CERASUS L. AND THEIR HYBRIDS, TO BE SUPPLIED FRESH TO THE CONSUMER, CHERRIES FOR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING BEING EXCLUDED.

·       THERE ARE TWO SPECIES OF CHERRIES:

·       SWEET CHERRIES ( PRUNUS AVIUM L.) HAVE VARIOUS COLOURATION OF THE FRUIT FROM YELLOWISH TO DARK PURPLE. TASTE OF THE FRUIT IS SWEET, A BIT ADSTRINGENT AND SLIGHTLY BITTER. SWEET CHERRIES HAVE LARGE VARIABILITY IN SIZE – FROM SMALL FRUITED EARLY VARIETIES TO LARGE FRUITED LATE VARIETIES.

·       SOUR CHERRIES ( PRUNUS CERASUS L.) HAVE TYPICAL ACIDIC TASTE. SOUR CHERRIES VARIETIES HAVE SLIGHTLY GLASSY FLESH AND SIZE IS NOT AS VARIABLE AS BY SWEET CHERRIES. SOUR CHERRIES HAVE SMALL LEAVES ATTACHED TO THE END OF THE STEM WHEN PICKED.

·       NORMALLY CHERRIES ARE PICKED WITH THE STEM TO GUARANTEE INTACT FRUIT AND A GOOD CONSERVATION OF FRESHNESS. CERTAIN SWEET CHERRY VARIETIES GROWN UNDER SPECIAL CLIMATIC CONDITIONS LOSE THEIR STEM NATURALLY AT PICKING. THIS TYPE IS MARKETED UNDER THE NAME PICOTA.

·       NAME OF ILLUSTRATION

o   TYPICAL OF THE VARIETY

QUALITY

SIZING

TOLERANCES

PRESENTATION

MARKING