Hotson's Cherries

At Hotson's Cherries their cherries are a delicious seasonal treat, full of flavour and health giving qualities. Their farmgate shop is only 1.5 kilometres off the Hume freeway and is close to Wangaratta, Beechworth, Rutherglen and Albury/Wodonga. Cherries are available in one kilogram and one kilogram punnets and five kilogram boxes. Lois and Bill Hotson have been growing cherries at Chiltern since 1982 together with an Angus beef cattle enterprise on their 450 hectare farm. The four hectare orchard, approximately 2,500 trees, are grown in granite soils on the side of a rocky hill - conditions ideal for cherries. The cherry trees flower in spring with fruit ready to pick from early November until Christmas. The ripe cherries are hand picked with care in the early morning before it gets too hot, transported to the packing shed where they are put into a hydro-cooler showering refrigerated water over the cherries. Maintaining a cold environment from picking to consumption is very important to maintain fruit quality and increase their shelf life. Cherries have important health benefits being high in antioxidants, a good source of fibre, rich in minerals and vitamins especially vitamin C and cholesterol free. A 100 gram serve of cherries has only 60 calories. It is an ideal snack for everyone including diabetics.