Pantry Product Notes - King Orchards Sour Cherries 4 LB Box

Description Section

Product Title: King Orchards Balaton Sour Cherries
Main Description: Sour cherries are in season for just two weeks every summer and we’ve sourced a rare variety straight from the shores of Lake Michigan. Balaton sour cherries are darker and sweeter than their more recognizable cousin—the almost neon red (and mouth-puckering) Montmorency—and they’re nearly impossible to source outside northwestern Michigan’s “Fruit Belt.” But through our exclusive partnership with Michigan’s own King Orchards, you can taste real-deal Balaton cherries for yourself. Named for Hungary’s Lake Balaton, this juicy, firm-fleshed, sweet-tart varietal was originally developed at the Budapest Horticultural University and made its way to the States via a Michigan State University research program in the 1980s. King Orchards picked it up around that time and the rest is history. The “Fruit Belt” region of Michigan is ideal for sour cherry trees, with sandy, well-drained soil and winters that are cold enough to keep the trees dormant but not so cold that they freeze to death. Commercial cultivation dates back to the 1880s, and today, the region produces 75% of the sour cherries grown in the U.S. Due to their extremely short harvest season and delicate flesh that must be carefully hand-picked to prevent bruising, the iconic summer fruit rarely makes it outside the Midwest. For a limited time, you can get 4 pounds of Balaton sour cherries shipped straight to your door—more than enough for pies, clafoutis, jam, preserves and more.

We have 100 boxes of cherries available for our first drop. Orders are open until midnight on Sunday, July 19, or earlier if we sell out; shipments will go out starting Tuesday July 21.

Please note we cannot ship cherries to California, Hawaii and Alaska. 

Net Weight/Volume: 4 pounds
Ingredients: Balaton Sour Cherries
Place of Origin: Central Lake, Michigan

How to Use: The cherries arrive fresh and will last for 10 days in the refrigerator; wash thoroughly in running water before eating or cooking. For extended storage, wash the cherries, pit them and freeze promptly. Frozen cherries will keep for up to 12 months.

Balaton cherries are meaty and juicy, with just enough natural sweetness to temper their acidic bite. They are best when cooked. We love them in a classic clafoutis as well as jam and preserves, syrups for drinks, glazes for grilled or roasted meats and, of course, cherry pie.

A Rare Taste of Summer from the Shores of Lake Michigan
Just like Georgia peaches and Hatch chilies from New Mexico, sour cherries are synonymous with summer in northwestern Michigan, where King Orchards has been operating since 1980. Located along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, the “Fruit Belt” region they call home boasts the sandy, well-drained soil and relatively temperate winters that finicky sour cherry trees need to flourish. In fact, 75% of sour cherries grown in the U.S. come from Michigan. And every year for just two weeks in July, the Fruit Belt produces a bumper crop of tart, juicy cherries that are almost impossible to find anywhere else.

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Title: King Orchards Sour Cherries | Milk Street Store
Description: A four-pound box of Balaton sour cherries grown in Central Lake, Michigan.