Bright Angel Farm
About Bright Angel Orchard
Bright Angel Orchard and Farm is located on a gently sloping hillside overlooking Swan Lake, at the north end of Vernon in the Okanagan Valley, BC.
The Farm is our cherished home, where we live with our children and our other 'family', our many farmyard and household pets.
Bright Angel Orchard is set on 4 incredibly fertile acres where we have planted and nurtured a wonderful orchard. Each summer we invite everyone to join us to share in its abundance.
We look forward to meeting you.
Karen and Steven
Pick Your Own Garden Fresh Fruit
Straight From The Orchard To Your Table
Lapin Cherries
This is a variety of sweet cherry characterized by dark ruby skin, deep red flesh, and are a very large size. These make a delicious sweet cherry jam or jelly! Lapin cherries are one of the most popular fruits commercially grown around the world, and this variety tends to keep better than other types of cherries. Lapins are generally ready to pick in earlyJuly.
Our Fruit
Bright Angel Farm has many cherry trees, offering varieties such as Lapins, Lamberts, Rainiers and Sweethearts.
We also produce table grapes and wine grapes.
Lambert Cherries
Lambert are one of the main types of cherries grown in the Okanagan. The fruit is large, round and a beautiful deep ruby red color, and has a semi sweet flavor. Lambert cherries are usually available around the middle of July. Lamberts are excellent for out-of-hand eating as well as cooking and baking. Thinking about a rich chocolate cherry cake for your next summer dessert? Lamberts are an excellent choice!
Sweetheart Cherries
Sweetheart cherries are a late ripening variety. They have a unique taste and a firm fruit that is crunchy when picked and eaten fresh. Sweethearts are very good in a cherry dessert, canned cherries, and sweet cherry jam. The Sweetheart cherry is also a good type of cherry to ship, so if you're looking to take cherries home with you, these keep fairly well.
Rainier Cherries
The 'Princess' of cherries are a large sweet cherry with a red blush similar to the Royal Ann cherry. These types of cherries are firm, with a clear to light yellow flesh, a fine texture and distinct sweet flavor. They are excellent for eating fresh. Rainier's are also known as the white cherry because of the flesh color and the skin is yellowish red blush when they are ripe.
Table grapes
Table grapes are intended for consumption while they are fresh, as opposed to grapes grown for wine production, juice production, or for drying into raisins. Table grapes tend to have large, seedless fruit with relatively thin skin. Table varieties usually have lower sugar content than wine grapes and are more flavourful when eaten. Their flavors, however, do not survive fermentation and their low sugar content means that any wine produced from them is weak, bland-tasting and easy to deteriorate. Table grapes usually have a sugar content around 15% by weight, compared to the wine grapes which are harvested at about 24% sugar content.
The Table grapes at Bright Angel Farm are typically ready for picking in late August or early September.
Picking Fresh Cherries & Keeping The Fruit Fresh
Look for cherries that are firm to touch, and are without bruising or soft spots. Try to pick cherries with the stems on. The skins should be smooth, and free of tears, white spots or blemishes. Cherries damaged by heavy rain or hail may have cracks in the skin and should be avoided.
- Store cherries in the refrigerator to keep them cold. They will last for up to a week.
- Cherries ripen quickly and should be used as soon as possible upon ripening.
- Avoid storing cherries near strong-smelling foods.
- Avoid washing cherries until you are ready to use them.
- Remove mushy or rotten cherries from the bag or box in order to preserve the rest.
- Avoid placing cherries in direct sunlight, such as near windows, to prevent deterioration of the fruit.
- You can freeze most types of cherries by first rinsing and draining them thoroughly.
Freeze individually first on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight. Once the cherries are frozen, transfer them to a heavy freezer bag. Frozen cherries can be kept up to a year.
Bright Angel Farm 6896 Herry Road, Vernon, British Columbia
The typical picking season for cherries begins in early July and lasts for approximately 2 weeks depending on the weather and the number of people picking.
We supply buckets and boxes to pick into and take home, although some people prefer to pick directly into their own containers.
ALL OF OUR CHERRIES HAVE BEEN PICKED AND WE ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THE SEASON.
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!
PLEASE NOTE: WE ACCEPT CASH ONLY.
The 2021 season will start July 3rd.
WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING ONLINE BOOKINGS AS OUR SEASON IS JUST ABOUT OVER.
