Tüskevár Garden
The cultivation and processing of berries are rare and therefore considered a speciality. At Tüskevár Garden, you can even taste rosehips and cornelian cherries.
More information
Nestled between Lake Balaton and the Little Balaton, on the outskirts of Sármellék, lies an orchard where black chokeberries, rosehips, and cornelian cherries have found their home. At Tüskevár Garden, every fruit is hand-picked and processed without chemicals or artificial additives. If you’ve never tried rosehip or cornelian cherry jam, now’s the time!
“What I love most about it is the closeness to nature and the fresh air.”
Gergely Tihanyi originally trained as an IT specialist, but it became clear to him at a young age that he wanted to live and work in nature rather than behind a screen. The family’s land, his grandparents’ vineyards, and childhood gardening experiences all contributed to his decision to start his own orchard over 10 years ago. He initially planted the first black chokeberry field as a hobby, but today, he and his father manage nearly 2 hectares together, and it has become his full-time profession.
Unique treasures of the Carpathian Basin
The main focus of Tüskevár Garden is the chemical-free cultivation and processing of berries, which is truly unique as it is based on the forgotten or undervalued fruit varieties of the Carpathian Basin.
Gergő deliberately chose plants that are resilient and have health-supporting properties.
Why? Because “we don’t just do this for selling – we consume it ourselves and share it with our family and friends.”
The garden grows rosehips, cornelian cherries, black chokeberries, blackberries, blue grapes, and blackcurrants.
The uniqueness of Tüskevár Garden lies not only in the types of plants but also in its approach to processing. In addition to cultivating the garden by hand, the fruits are hand-harvested and freshly processed: pressed into 100% fruit juices or cooked into sugar-free or lightly sweetened jams, all using gentle techniques at every stage.
Gergő and his team have even found a use for leftover fruit peels: they turn them into dried snacks, powders, or tea blends.
The products are not only free from additives but are also typically sugar-free, with processing methods tailored to the specific characteristics of each fruit. For example, the dense flesh of cornelian cherries and rosehips makes them excellent for jams, requiring no additional thickening. Both fruits have a tangy flavour, and you can choose between sugar-free or sweetened versions.
Alongside traditional family recipes, they continuously experiment with new flavours and techniques while preserving the principles of artisanal processing.
Product highlights
Rosehip and Cornelian Cherry Jam
Tüskevár Garden’s two iconic jams, rosehip and cornelian cherry, stand out not only for their unique and bold flavours but also for their exceptional nutritional value, setting them apart from conventional fruit jams. These are not cultivated sweet varieties – they are gifts of nature, requiring careful hand-picking, patience, and expertise.
The rosehips are harvested at full ripeness, followed by heat treatment and sieving to remove the seeds, leaving only the dense, silky fruit pulp. The result is a dark orange, tangy-sweet jam, naturally rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. It achieves the perfect consistency without added gelling agents or pectin, as the natural solids in the rosehips do the job.
Cornelian cherry jam is a rarity: few producers work with this wild fruit, which only starts bearing fruit years after planting. Its flavour is unmistakable – tart with a hint of plum-like notes, complemented by low sugar content. The jam is made in small batches exclusively from their own harvest, without additives or preservatives.
You can purchase the products at:
● Hévíz Farmers’ Market
● Liliomkert Market, Káptalantóti
