Balaton cherry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Balaton cherry |
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A Balaton cherry tree
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| Genus | Prunus |
| Species | Prunus cerasus |
| Cultivar | 'Balaton' |
| Origin | Ujfeherto, Hungary |
The Balaton cherry is a special type of sour cherry. It comes from Hungary, a country in Europe. This cherry is known for its dark red color. It's also famous for its sweet-tart taste. Farmers in the United States started growing it in the 1980s. Now, you can find it in many stores!
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Where Did the Balaton Cherry Come From?
The Balaton cherry first grew in a small village in Hungary called Ujfeherto. After a big war, the Hungarian government wanted to find the very best sour cherries. They had a careful process to pick the best types for their farms. The Balaton cherry was chosen as the winner!
How Balaton Cherries Became Famous
The Balaton cherry was first sold in Hungary in 1970. Later, in 1984, a scientist named Dr. Amy Iezzoni brought it to the United States. She worked at Michigan State University. The cherry was then sold in the U.S. in 1998.
The people in Hungary wanted the cherry's name in America to show its Hungarian roots. They named it after Lake Balaton. This is a famous lake in Hungary. They picked this name because it was easy for Americans to say!
What Makes Balaton Cherries Special?
The Balaton cherry is a type of sour cherry called a Morello. It has a deep, dark red color. This color is found in both the skin and the fruit inside. Other sour cherries, like the Montmorency, have lighter colored fruit.
Taste and Use
Balaton cherries have a yummy sweet-tart flavor. This makes them great for pies, jams, and other treats. They are also strong cherries. They don't crack easily when it rains. This means they can be shipped far away without getting damaged. Because they are so dark, food companies don't need to add extra red coloring to products made with them.
Growing Balaton Cherry Trees
Balaton cherry trees can be a bit sensitive to cold winters. Sometimes, they don't produce as many cherries as farmers hope.
Helping Trees Grow More Cherries
Most sour cherry trees can grow fruit on their own. This is called being self-fertile. But for Balaton trees, it seems they grow even more cherries if they get pollen from sweet cherry trees nearby. This helps them produce a bigger harvest.
Hungary gets a small payment for each Balaton cherry tree sold. Some of this money even goes back to the cherry's home village of Ujfeherto.
