Balaton cherry
Balaton cherry | |
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Ujfeherto, Hungary |
The Balaton cherry is a cultivar of sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) native to Hungary, where it was originally named Újfehértói Fürtös. It was introduced to the United States in the 1980s and is now grown there commercially.
Cultivar history
The Balaton cultivar was first grown in the small Hungarian village of
Fruit characteristics
The Balaton is a Morello-type sour cherry with a dark burgundy color throughout both the skin and flesh (in contrast to the better-known Montmorency cherry, which has light-colored flesh) and a sweet-tart flavor.[3] It is resistant to rain-cracking and ships well, and the dark color of its fruit means no food coloring needs to be added to give products made from it a red color.[4]
Growing characteristics
The Balaton is more sensitive to winter injury than other sour cherry cultivars.
Hungary receives a portion of the royalties charged on each Balaton cherry tree, some of which is shared with the cultivar's home village of Ujfeherto.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Charles, Dan, "A Hungarian Cherry Tree's Long Trek To Michigan", NPR
- ^ University of Wisconsin
- ^ a b "Balaton Cherries", Michigan State University
- ^ a b Good Fruit Grower: Boosting Yields of Balaton Cherries