Other Fruits

Antique and Unusual Apples!

At Hocking Hills Orchard, here at the Four Seasons Cabins, we grow many different varieties of Apples, Pears, Grapes and other fruit.

The apple varieties in this group fit for different reasons; either they have been around for 100 years or longer if antiques or have something unusual about them in shape, taste, color or history that caught my attention. Most apple varieties in stores today are there because of a few reasons, none of which is taste; (1) they ripen close together so labor costs are minimized, (2) they ship well so produce losts are minimized due to bruising, (3) they have an "appealing" look so that an apple like Calville Blanc d'Hiver with its bumps and humps would never fit in. At one time in America, mid to late 1800's,there was thought to be around 4,000 different varieties of apples! Now, Pomologists (fruit growing scientists), estimate there are around 2,000 in America and up to 10,000 in the world. Of those numbers most stores only carry six to ten different varieties. Think of the range of tastes that are available.

Apple varieties

• Akero

(1759 Sweden) Medium to large, oval fruit. Pink flush over a pale primrose skin. Pale cream, crisp, juicy flesh with a refreshing raspberry-like flavour. It arose as a seedling at the Akero mansion south of Stockholm or was brought there from Holland around 1759. It was first recorded in 1858 by the pomologist Olof Eneroth.

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• Alaska

(Humboldt County, California, USA) Large, almost white skinned fruit. Very crisp, juicy refreshing white flesh. Name was chosen to conjure up the image of cool, white majesty. An Albert Etter named seedling.

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• Arkansas Black

(@1870 Benton County, Arkansas, USA) Medium to large, smooth skinned, dark red to almost black apple. Crisp, juicy, yellow flesh. Thought to be a seedling of Winesap.

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• Arthur Turner

(1912 Berkshire, England, UK) Large conical fruit. Delicate brownish pink flush over pale green/yellow skin. Sharp, pale cream flesh. Cooks to a well flavoured, yellow puree requiring little added sugar. An excellent early cooking apple.

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• Baldwin (aka Woodpecker)

(1740 Lowell, Massachusetts, USA) Large, tough, smooth, red skinned apple with white stars. Crisp, solid, juicy, aromatic, yellowish flesh. Most widely planted apple in the U.S. until the 1920's.

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• Beauty of Bath

(1864 England, UK) Medium sized fruit, flat shape, yellow flushed with red stripe. Flesh creamy white, soft, very juicy, sweet, a little acid, distinctive flavor. Received First Class Certificate from Royal Horticultural Society in 1887.

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• Belle de Pontoise

(1879 France) Open pollinated seedling of Alexander. Fruit is very large, flat shape, rectangular, convex, yellow-green flushed orange, striped red, some russet. Flesh firm, crisp, white, subacid with traces of sweetness. Dessert and cooking.

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• Ben Davis

(1880 Arkansas, USA) Famous old southern apple noted for its rapid growth and excellent keeping qualities. Large, conical, white-fleshed, red and dark carmine striped fruit is borne heavily and annually. The tree is a very good pollinator and is one of the parents of Cortland. Once called "mortage lifter" for the income it generated by shipping barge loads on the Mississippi River to New Orleans for export.

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• Blenheim Orange

(1740 Oxfordshire, England, UK) Large, flat round fruit. Orange red flush and stripes over greenish yellow skin. Speckled with fine brown russet spots and patches. Creamy white flesh with a crumbly texture. Considered as one of the loveliest apples with a distinctive, dry, nutty flavour. Dual purpose. Cooks to a stiff puree.

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• Bloody Ploughman

(1883 Gowrie, Scotland, UK) Medium to large, flat-round, ribbed fruit. Blood red skin. Crisp, juicy flesh becomes stained pink when very ripe. Sweet with a light flavour. There is a colourful story behind the rather strange name. A ploughman was caught stealing apples from the Megginch estate and shot by a gamekeeper. His wife threw the stolen apples on a rubbish heap. One of the seedlings which arose was resued and gave rise to the variety which was named after the unfortunate ploughman.

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• Bouquet of Burgundy

I do not know anything about this variety except that I like the name!

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• Burr Knot

(1818 England, UK) Large, round fruit. Red flush on a very greasy yellow skin. Cooks to a yellow puree which is sweet and pleasantly flavoured. Characterised by burrs at the base of branches which will root if planted. Burr Knot and similar varieties, which were propagated from cuttings, were widely grown by small farmers in 19th Century particularly in South Wales. Burr Knott has been used as a rootstock in the past.

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• Calville Blanc D'Hiver

(1598 France) Medium to large pale green fruit with light red dots on sunny side. Bottom half sharply segmented, segment lines often extend to stem. Tender, sweet, spicy yellowish white flesh. More vitamin C than an orange. Favorite apple of King Louis XIII of France and a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.

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• Carter's Blue

(1840's Mount Meigs Depot, Alabama, USA) The fruit is very attractive with a bluish color due to its heavy bloom. Once thought to be extinct, this wonderful apple was rediscovered by Lee Calhoun growing in the National Fruit Trust in Kent, England. Medium to large fruit with greenish-yellow skin, mostly covered with dull red and all overlaid with a heavy bluish bloom. Flesh is white, crisp and juicy and very fragrant. Flavor has been described as "rose-water." Ripens September and not a good keeper.

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• Catshead

(early 1600's Ireland) A very old cooking apple first mentioned in literature from 1629. It was once widely sold by Virginia nurseries until the early 1900's. Supposedly resembles a cat’s head when viewed in profile, but this feature is variable. A very large round apple with greenish-yellow skin. Good for cooking and drying. Ripens September.

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• Clear Heart

(1951 Ireland) Fruit size is medium, shape flat, truncate-conic, convex, ribbed on body. Skin pale yellow flushed carmine, russet dots. Flesh firm, white, flavour acid.

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• Cornish Aromatic

(1813 but thought to be many centuries older Cornwall, UK) Medium sized, round-conical to oblong-conical fruit, ribbed and very distinctly five crowned. Dry skin, greenish-yellow, half flushed dullish red with broken, short darker red stripes. Variable amounts of russetting, which in some years may be limited to small russet dots and in others may comprise of large ochre russet patches covering much of the surface and producing a pretty patterns with the underlying red flush . White flesh with greenish tinges, firm and rather dry. Has a fine aromatic, almost spicy flavour in good years but may lack flavour in poor years.

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• Court Pendu Gris

(known in 1300's France) Medium sized fruit, shape flat, truncate-conic, convex, ribbed on body, asymmetric. Skin deep yellow, slightly flushed and striped pink, russet round eye, thick. Flesh firm, crisp, yellowish white. Flavor very sweet, slightly subacid, aromatic, season very late.

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• Court Pendu Plat

(known since Roman times) Perhaps the oldest variety of apple still grown. First described in about 1613 and considered of great antiquity then. Still considered one of the best of the really late dessert varieties. Very late flowering and because of that was known as the "Wise" apple by some. Medium sized flat, well-rounded, regular fruit with a barely perceptible stem which causes it to lay flat against the branch like a peach. Greenish yellow to orange flushed with rose. Slight russetting with dry skin. The flesh is creamy white, firm, fine-textured and juicy. Fruity flavour with pineapple-like acidity. Becomes sweet with keeping but retains its strong flavour.

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• Court Pendu Rose

(Of great antiquity but first described about 1613) Medium sized fruit, shape flat, rectangular, convex, not ribbed. Skin yellow flushed dull red with some russet. Flesh firm, crisp, yellowish white. Flavor sweet, rich, perfumed. Late flowering.

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• Crow Egg

(early 1800's USA) The northern Crow Egg is a medium size apple, somewhat flattened in appearance with yellow skin flushed with red shading.

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• Devonshire Quarrenden

(1676 Devon, England, UK) Small to medium sized fruit. Solid red skin with a distinct strawberry flavor.

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• Esposus Spitzenberg

(1790 Esposus, New York, USA) Medium to large, orangish fruit with red stripes and russet dots. Crisp,fine grained, spicy, juicy yellowish flesh with a rich aromatic flavor. This was the favorite apple of Thomas Jefferson!

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• Etter's Gold

(Humboldt County, California, USA) Wagener x Transcendant Crab. Medium to large greenish yellow fruit ripening to clear gold. Crisp, juicy, sweet white flesh. One of the first seedling varieties developed by Albert Etter.

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• Flower of Kent

(original tree was growing about 1660 Kent, England, UK) The falling of this apple led Isaac Newton to discover the law of gravity. Large sized fruit, red, striped, shape conic. Flesh firm, white tinged green, flavor slightly acid, slightly astringent. Fruits drop severely before they ripen.

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• Fortune

(1995 New York, USA) Red Spy x Empire cross. The fruit is very large and red. Yellowish flesh with unique flavor-best qualities of both its parents.

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• Frogmore

(1865 England, UK) Large size fruit, shape flat, conic, convex, not ribbed. Skin greenish yellow, slightly streaked and flushed crimson. Flesh tender white, flavor sweet. Cooking apple now seldom grown.

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• Gewurzluiken

(Wuerttemberg, Germany) Medium to large sized fruit, shape intermediate to flat, conic or truncate-conic, convex, ribbed slightly on body at eye. Skin greenish yellow nearly covered with dark orange-red flush and deeper red stripes, some russet. Flesh firm, greenish white. Flavor sweet, subacid. Cultivar translated may mean 'spicy'. Ripens in October.

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• Glockenapfel

(Switzerland) A green, smooth skinned, bell-shaped culinary apple. Keeps its shape when cooked and has a translucent quality. It is still very popular in Switzerland for making Apple Strudel. An ancient variety of unknown origin, once widely grown in Europe.The name derived from the shape literally means Bell Apple.

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• Green Chisel

I do not know anything about this variety.

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• Greensleeves

(1966 Kent, England, UK) James Grieve x Golden Delicious cross. Medium sized, round fruit. Pale green skin ripening to bright yellow. Creamy white, crisp, juicy flesh. Pleasant refreshing flavour. Sweet but with some balancing acidity.

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• Holly

(1952 Ohio, USA) Johnathan x Delicious cross. Medium to large sized fruit, oblong conic. Completely covered with cherry red, smooth, thick skin. Flesh subacid, texture excellent.

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• Jean

All I know about this one is that this is my Mothers name!

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• Joyce

McIntosh x Livland Raspberry cross. Yellow fruit washed with crimson. Juicy, aromatic white flesh, somewhat similar to McIntosh.

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• Junaluska

Junaluska is one of those venerable old apples long sought by apple collectors but thought to have been extinct since the 1800's. However, in 2001, noted apple hunter Tom Brown of Clemmons, NC, found an old tree growing in Macon Co., NC, with fruit which closely matched the old apple. He collected a handful of samples and sent a few apples to Big Horse Creek Farm and other collectors for verification. They all agreed he had indeed found the true Junaluska! According to the description in Calhoun’s Old Southern Apples, the original tree was owned by a Cherokee chief named Junaluskee who lived in either Macon or Cherokee County, NC. When the state began purchasing Cherokee lands in the 1800's, Chief Junaluskee refused to give up the land on which the tree was growing. After meetings with State Commissioners he finally agreed to sell the tree for $50. It is a large to very large, high-quality apple with a distinctive irregular globular form. The dull yellow skin is somewhat rough with raised russet patches, occasional greenish spots and with a pale red flush on the sunny side. The tender yellow flesh is juicy and rich with a pleasant subacid flavor.

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• Kandil Kitaika

(former USSR) Very large white petals on flowers. Fruit size is small to medium. Skin dark red, shape conic, juicy, white flesh.

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• Kandil Sinap

(early 1800's Turkey) Tall, narrow, cylindrical shaped apple. Creamy yellow porcelain like skin with a brilliant red blush. Crisp, juicy, fine grained white flesh.

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