February Cherries and How to Order Them

If you’re not wondering what February and cherries have in common, here’s the main news of this post:

Follow this link to order organic cherries from the Goriška Brda region and pick them up at Rifuzl on the day of your choice.

If you’re wondering where the name “February cherries” comes from, keep reading… ✍️

We started negotiating the cherry offer at Rifuzl back in February! Yes, back when a fierce winter bora was sweeping across the Brda region and the cherry trees were covered in a thick blanket of snow (of course, I made that last part up—winters aren’t like that anymore, so we don’t get thick blankets of snow on the coast; but you can still find a cold bora??).

The story with the cherries begins on February 5 of this year, at 6:45 a.m. In the parking lot in Šiška, I was waiting for a minibus to take me to Austria ?? for a conference where I was presenting our Rifuzl to the Carinthians that day.

On the bus, among other interesting people heading to the conference, I also met Martin, who helped us with this year’s Easter potica deliveries through his company, OmniOpti. They’re developing an algorithm that optimizes delivery routes so we can deliver all the potica in the shortest time and with the fewest kilometers traveled. Since I’m a programmer myself, Martin and I quickly got into a conversation about this and that. Among other things, he mentioned that he’s from the Primorska region—more specifically, from the Goriška Brda area—and asked if we at Rifuzl would be interested in offering cherries and other produce from his family’s farm, the Kumar estate.

“That’ll be great,” I thought to myself. Last spring, we offered “plastic-free” organic strawberries, and there was also a lot of demand for cherries. So I was happy to get Martin’s contact information. They’re even organically grown—all the better! We love working with smaller, organic, local growers. ?‍?

In my enthusiasm, I sent an email to the Kumar farm right away back in February, but then I was once again swamped from all sides by other obligations—which, given our hectic pace, are never in short supply ?️‍♀️.

The months flew by, and before I knew it, it was already early May. The Kumars asked us if we were still interested in collaborating. Manca took over the communication and forwarded me an email from Rifuzl a couple of days ago with the subject line “Order form? :)”.

I hope this story has given you a little more insight into what our day-to-day life as rifuzlars looks like. It’s full of adventures and all sorts of tasks that constantly get in each other’s way. That’s why I end up having to set aside a Sunday afternoon to catch up on emails.

But I’m not complaining—I’m actually enjoying it ?. Especially when you write something nice in the comments—like how excited you are about strawberries or cherries, or how Rifuzl has helped you drastically reduce the amount of trash you produce. Thanks for all these lovely stories; I save every one of them. I’ve already collected enough for a little booklet, hehe. ?

Ah, before I wrap up. This question might still be on your mind: why do we make such a big deal out of these order forms? Why don’t we just order 100 kg of cherries and have enough for everyone in our regular selection?

1. We don’t have a warehouse that’s big enough or suitable for storing fruits and vegetables.
   Whatever we order from suppliers, we want it to go out as soon as possible (ideally the same day). After all, fruits and vegetables are best when fresh!
2. We don’t want to disappoint you!
   When you place an order, you can rest assured that your order will be waiting for you, and you won’t have to rush to Rifuzl first thing in the morning before it runs out.
3. We don’t want to throw food away.
   The combination of points 1 and 2 is only possible with order forms. We know exactly how much to order from our suppliers, and you don’t have to worry that your ordered cherries (and other fresh items) will be waiting for you.

We started with a small batch of cherries last week, and this week the Kumars let us know that peak season has begun, so I can post the order form everywhere (last week I sent the news only to the most dedicated readers of Rifuz News—sign up!).

You can also ordervegetables every Friday, and we’ll be adding Tuesdays soon.

Heirloom Cherry Varieties

Primož from the Kumar farm introduced us to these sweet treats:

The Goriška Brda region is known for its excellent cherries. We at Brici and Brike have been selling cherries in the surrounding area—both near and far—for as long as anyone can remember. Apparently, Brici cherries were even transported to the imperial court in Vienna back in the day. We locals like to joke that when Armstrong landed on the moon, he found Brika there, selling cherries.

The Goriška Brda region has long been known for its diverse selection of native varieties. Our farm offers quite a varied selection of these, as we make sure that the old cherry varieties do not fade into oblivion. The cherries on our farm aren’t planted in large orchards but can be found on the slopes of the vineyards, where cherries have always had their place in the Brda region. Below are some of the varieties you’ll find at our farm, along with their main characteristics.

Primož from the Kumar Farm

• PRVAČNCE
  These are the first cherries to ripen in Brda. They have a slightly milder flavor due to their higher water content, but are no less appealing for that. They’re usually meant to be eaten fresh, as their higher water content makes them less suitable for making strudels, juices, and the like.
• DRTUGNBERNCE
  The name itself tells us that these cherries ripen later than the others. These cherries are characterized by smaller fruits with white flesh. They are very sweet.
• DUJAKI
  Very large and dark, but soft to the touch.
• ČUFARCE
  Delicious, but soft and somewhat smaller.
• IVANKE
  They are characterized by a short stem and grow in dense clusters. They are very tasty cherries, and their name tells us that they ripen sometime in the second half of June (though in recent years, the harvest time has, of course, been much earlier).
• FRENCH – NAPOLEON – CRUNCHY
  They are quite large, with firm and crisp flesh, which is where they get their name. These cherries often crack after rain, but the fruit is still suitable for eating. Brda is best known for this variety of cherries.
• KARNJUKA
  Very dark, firm, and glossy as a mirror. This variety is ideal for canning or making homemade jam. In the past, they weren’t very popular among people because of their dark color, which some mistook for being overripe. Today we know that they are one of the most delicious old varieties.
• BELACEPIKA
  Firm, slightly bitter-sour, and often somewhat mottled.
• ČEMPEVKA
  This cherry variety has small fruits that are slightly bitter.

Thank you for supporting us with a purchase that’s good for you, for local growers, and for nature! We can’t exist without you ??

Take care, and see you at Rifuzl! ?
Primož from Rifuzl