‘Watermelon plums’: Israeli farm pioneer grows hybrid fruits

YESUD HAMA ALA, Israel: An Israeli family farm has spent decades developing hybrid fruits, from black apricots to "watermelon plums", which it says offer unique flavours and added resilience against a changing climate.

Ben Dor Fruits and Nurseries is based in Yesud HaMa’ala, a northern community founded in the 1880s during the first wave of Jewish immigration to Palestine, then under Ottoman Empire control.

Using classic cross-breeding techniques, it has created unique varieties of stone fruits in its orchards in the fertile Hula Valley in the northern Galilee. Among its offerings are "pomegranate plums", which are particularly sweet, "watermelon plums" with red flesh and green skin, and the bright yellow "lamoon" plum, shaped like an inverted teardrop and with a slightly tart flavour.

"We saw there is potential for expansion on supermarket shelves if we develop fruits that are different and special in their shape and taste," said the director of the business, Sefi Ben Dor.