Ulster cherry
{{Short description|Cherry cultivar}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Ulster cherry
| image = Ulster Cherries (2626636868).jpg
| image_caption = 'Ulster' cherries
| species = Prunus avium
| genus = Prunus
| cultivar = 'Ulster'
| breeder = Cornell University
| hybrid = 'Schmidt' x 'Lambert'
| origin = Ithaca, New York, US in 1937
}}
The Ulster cherry is a sweet cherry cultivar (Prunus avium) that originated in the United States.D. K. Salunkhe and S.S. Kadam {{Google Books|v2WnS_2ZmDwC|Handbook of Fruit Science and Technology|page=398}}
History
The 'Ulster' cherry was created through an agricultural breeding program at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 1937, and was first introduced in 1964.[http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/faculty/andersen/cherry_list3.html “Cherries from Cornell Cherry Breeding Program,” Cornell University, May 2000] It derives from the crossing of the 'Schmidt' cherry (a mid-season cultivar that produces a dark red, moderately large fruit of a good quality and superior crack resistance) and the 'Lambert' cherry (a heart-shaped cultivar with dark red and moderately firm flesh and a sweet flavor).[http://shangri-latoofarm.com/cherry.aspx “Cherry Information,” Shangri-La Too Farm][http://www.calcherry.com/ccab/consumer.cfm?varieties=1 “Cherry Varieties,” California Cherry Advisory Board]
The 'Ulster' cherry is named after Ulster County, New York, a region that is home to commercial sweet cherry production. It is grown across North America and has been successfully introduced in Europe and Australia.[http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/treefrt/newslett/cherrycracking.htm “All About Cherry Cracking,” Tree Fruit Leader, July 1994][http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=468_96 “Cherry Growing in Australia - A Brief Overview,” ISHS Acta Horticulturae 468: III International Cherry Symposium] The cultivar can be produced in harsh climates: when Norway launched its sweet cherry commercial production, the cultivar was imported for planting in that nation's fjord district, located at latitude 60°N.[http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=468_12 “Evaluation of Sweet Cherry Cultivars and Advanced Selections Adapted to a Northern Climate,” ISHS Acta Horticulturae 468: III International Cherry Symposium]
Characteristics
The 'Ulster' cherry is a midseason cultivar. The dark red fruit is firm and large, sometimes measuring more than one inch in diameter. Its fruit has a strong resistance to cracking brought about by pre-harvest rains, and the trees growing the Ulster cherry have been documented as showing a higher resistance to southwest trunk winter injury, cherry leaf spot and the late spring frosts that can prove fatal to this cultivar {{Clarify|date=June 2020}}. Cracking can be high on some young trees, but the level of cracking declines as the trees mature.[http://www.maes.msu.edu/nwmihort/drkswtch.html “Dark Sweet Cherry Varieties,” Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, January 1999]
Usage
The 'Ulster' cherry’s sweet taste has made it popular in several formats. It can be consumed as freshly picked fruit, and it is also used in canned cherries products.[http://saveurmag.com/gallery/A-Cherry-Gallery/4 Saveur “A Cherry Gallery,” Saveur Magazine] It has also been incorporated into wine production. The Peninsula Cellars Melange, created by Michigan’s Peninsula Cellars wine from a mixture of fermented sweet black 'Ulster' cherry juice and pure grape brandy, won the Best of Show Award at the 1998 Michigan State Fair.[http://info.detnews.com/redesign/wine/columns/silfven/details.cfm?id=68 “It's a natural for Michigan to make cherry wine,” Detroit News, July 26, 2001]
References
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