Spanish D.O.P Series - Picota Cherries (Picota del Jerte)


If you’re picking up cherries in Spain right now (mid June-end July), you’ve probably noticed some come with the stems attached as per usual, and others magically do not! The latter are D.O.P. Picotas from the Jerte Valley in Northern Extremadura. 


Because they ripen slowly on the tree for far longer than normal cherries and release naturally from the pedicel, they seal in their own sugars, giving them an absurdly dense crunch, high Brix levels, and a clean malic-tartaric acid balance. 

Eating them fresh by the handful is always a great choice, picotas are a dream for preservation as well as for other culinary uses such as pastry or other baking given their low water content and high sugar content. There are so many options and with 5.5kg of them these few weeks, I've had a delightful time experimenting with the different flavours and strengths of the different cultivars.

Video re description of the DOP Picotas here - 

The Four Native Cultivars

True D.O.P. Picotas are restricted to four specific varieties, each offering distinct advantages for cooking and preservation:

  • Ambrunés: The baseline standard. Late-harvested with exceptionally high sugar concentration, deep colour, and firm skin. Ideal for long-term alcohol extractions and dry-aging/roasting applications.


  • Pico Colorado: Distinct for its lighter, orangey-red blush flesh and elevated floral aromatics. Requires subtle handling; best suited for cold cheong extractions paired with lighter botanicals (e.g., green cardamom, lemon verbena). (See below)

  • Pico Negro: Deep crimson skin with a higher ratio of titratable acidity. Its structural integrity holds up exceptionally well under thermal processing.
  • Pico Limón Negro: Deeply pigmented juice with intense anthocyanin concentration. Yields rich color extraction for vinegars and reductions.

Recipes

Picota Vinegar (in video)

See original recipe by The Forager Chef here and my video recipe below

HERE

I'd always wanted to make a proper fermented vinegar - the infused vinegars I'd made by soaking crushed fruit into a white wine or rice vinegar usually tasted quite separate in flavour, the flavour of the fruit versus the flavour of the vinegar. These are much more unified. 

Ingredients

  • 450g Picota cherries (pitted, crushed)
  • 100g white sugar
  • 1000ml non-chlorinated water
  • 15ml unpasteurized raw vinegar starter (i.e. with the "mother"). I used apple cider vinegar. 

Steps

  1. Combine cherries, sugar,vinegar and water in a sanitized jar. 
  2. Cover with a dense cloth such as multi layered cheesecloth or a tea towel and keep out of direct sunlight. 
  3. Stir once daily for 7–10 days. 
  4. Active bubbling will peak and subside as sugars convert to alcohol.
  5. Once the liquid tastes like vinegar and has passed through the sugary taste then alcoholic taste stages, pass the liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Do not discard the fruit pulp if it is relatively whole - reserve it in a sealed container in the fridge for the agridulce recipe below.
  6. Pitch the raw unpasteurized vinegar starter into the strained alcohol base. Cover the jar with a breathable cloth secured tightly with an elastic band and stir once daily as above to make another vinegar.
  7. Incubate the original vinegar in a dark cabinet between 20°C–25°C for 3 to 6 weeks. Monitor acetic acid buildup weekly until the flavour is crisp and clean. Fine-filter and bottle. Keep in the fridge to stop further fermentation. 


Picota Dessert Vinegar (in video)

Ingredients

  • 100ml Picota vinegar
  • 40g white sugar
  • 1g sea salt
Steps 
  1. Combine vinegar, sugar, and sea salt in a small stainless steel saucepan.
  2. Set over medium-low heat and bring to a bare simmer 
  3. Reduce volume by approximately 50% (12–15 minutes), gently swirling the pan. 
  4. Avoid harsh boiling to preserve delicate aromatic esters.
  5. Test viscosity on a chilled spoon - the glaze should yield a syrup consistency. 
  6. Decant into a squeeze bottle and cool.


Picota Agridulce (in video)

Ingredients

  • ~270–300 g strained Picotas (leftover from vinegar recipe)
  • 60g brown sugar
  • 5g sea salt
  • 2 thyme/rosemary sprigs
Steps

  1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. 
  2. Add the strained Picotas, brown sugar,  herbs (if using) and salt to the pan. 
  3. Cook for 15–20 minutes, using a rigid spatula to break down remaining skin structure as much or little as you like for a more structured condiment or a sauce (add picota vinegar if you need more liquid to break down the remaining cherries).





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