Originally Published In The Deseret News -- Wednesday, September 20, 1995
Which Kind To Plant? Experiment To Decide What You Like. There's A Variety To Suit Your Taste Buds.
One of life's most pleasant, simple pleasures is biting into a crisp, juicy apple. Whether you prefer sweet or tart, spicy or mellow, firm or soft, there is a variety just for you.
Apples range in size from 1-inch crabapples to giant fruits 6 inches or more in diameter. Colors range from pale yellow, pink or tan to deep, rich red, orange, golden and all shades in between.
Few things compare with September apple tasting. While this may not be a true horticultural activity, it certainly has a direct relationship to a successful backyard orchard.
I am frequently asked, "What apple should I plant?" My answer is always, "What apple do you like?" To me that is the single most important factor. Although I enjoy many different apples, I have several personal favorites. Right now there are more apples available on the market than at any other time of the year. It's worth seeking out choice varieties and running a personal taste test to determine those you like best.
Choosing the right variety is not always an easy task. There are more than 10,000 different named varieties. Add to this list innumerable seedling varieties and it's easy to see that there should be favorite apples for all those who want them. Several thousand varieties would grow well in Utah, so selection is the major problem.
Unfortunately, most markets only sell Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith. More innovative stores might have Braeburn, Rome Beauty, Jonathan and Gala. Any serious backyard orchardist will want to expand his choice of varieties to include both new and old favorites.
Keep in mind that apples are classified according to their use. This includes fresh eating, cooking, saucing or juice. When possible, choose a variety that has more than one use. This expands the versatility of each tree that you grow.
Home orchardists can base their choices on their favorite flavors. Shipping qualities, fruit finish, size and color are the main criteria for retail sales. These characteristics are often secondary to flavor in some varieties. Many tasty apples lack the beauty to ever be commercially successful. Don't make your choices on the fancy, polished skin because it's what's inside that counts. The accompanying chart lists many of the most popular old and new varieties that grow well in the state. This is not a comprehensive list, but unless you already have your favorites selected, consider these varieties.
If you would like to taste some of these delicious apple varieties before making your planting decisions, I will be conducting two tasting sessions.
- Tasty autumn fruits: Thursday, Sept. 21, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Red Butte Garden visitors center. (Normal garden admission charged. Call 581-5322 for addition information.)
- Tasty fall apples: Tuesday, Oct. 3, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Lunch and Learn Series, Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 S. State Street, Room S1007. (Call 468-3170 for more information.)
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SELECTED APPLE VARIETIES FOR UTAH
Variety: Akane
Ripening month: August
Fruit: Small, bright-red fruit with white, firm, crisp flesh. Very flavorful.
Comments: Good dessert apple. Light crops but bears every year. Fruit holds on tree.
Variety: Arkansas
Ripening month: October, November
Fruit: Hard, crisp, deep-red apple.
Comments: Best after storage for two months.
Variety: Ashmead's Kernel
Ripening month: October
Fruit: Medium-size, red-orange blush over rough yellow-green skin.
Comments: Good disease resistance. Old variety.
Variety: Braeburn
Ripening month: October-November
Fruit: Medium-size, golden red. Crisp, sweet-tart flavor.
Comments: Fruit drops in hot climates. Biennial bearing. Ripens too late in Utah.
Variety: Cox Orange Pippin
Ripening month: Late September
Fruit: Medium-size, dull orange-red, flesh yellow, firm, juicy. Flavor superb.
Comments: Susceptible to cracking. Dense growth. Dislikes extreme cold, heat or low humidity.
Variety: Delicious (Red Delicious)
Ripening month: August-September
Fruit: Color varies with strain and temperature; likes bright and warm days, cool nights. Older, varieties better flavored than highly colored commercial strains.
Comments: Vary in ripening season and color. Many varieties. Needs pollinator, Golden Delicious good.
Variety: Earliblaze
Ripening month: July-August
Fruit: Medium fruit. Greenish yellow skin with red stripe. Crisp, white, firm, juicy flesh.
Comments: Good summer apple. Cooks well but does not store.
Variety: Elstar
Ripening month: Mid-September
Fruit: Medium, red and yellow color. Excellent, tart flavor. Good for sauce or baking.
Comments: Does not do well in hot climates. Alternate bearing.
Variety: Empire
Ripening month: Early September
Fruit: McIntosh/Delicious cross. Roundish, dark red. Creamy white, juicy, crisp flesh.
Comments: Good tree structure, annual bearer. Stores well.
Variety: Esopus Spitzenberg
Ripening month: Late October
Fruit: Medium to large, red-dotted yellow. Crisp, fine-grained, tangy, spicy.
Comments: Old favorite, best in cold-winter areas. Subject to fireblight, mildew.
Variety: Fuji
Ripening month: Late October
Fruit: Tapered shape, red stripes. Large, firm, sweet; excellent flavor, good keeper.
Comments: Heavy bearer. Ripens late. Keeps well at room temperature.
Variety: Gala
Ripening month: September
Fruit: Medium, beautiful red color on yellow apple. Firm, crisp, yellow flesh that is juicy and very sweet. Stores well.
Comments: Vigorous, heavy bearer. Long, supple branches break easily so needs careful pruning.
Variety: Ginger Gold
Ripening month: August-September
Fruit: Large, yellow, smooth, tapered. Crisp, firm, flavorful.
Comments: Spreading, susceptible to mildew. Annually crops.
Variety: Golden Delicious (Yellow Delicious)
Ripening month: September
Fruit: Clear yellow; similar shape to Delicious. Highly aromatic, crisp, excellent for eating and cooking.
Comments: Improved varieties available; Goldspur, Yellowspur, Prime Gold. Excellent pollinator for many other varieties.
Variety: Granny Smith
Ripening month: November
Fruit: Large green apple, widely sold.
Comments: Often ripens too late for Utah.
Variety: Gold Supreme
Ripening month: August
Fruit: Medium large, yellow with some red blush. Smooth, excellent flavor. Two weeks earlier than Golden Delicious.
Comments: Vigorous upright tree. Tends to bear every other year. Thinning fruits early helps overcome biennial cropping.
Variety: Idared
Ripening month: September-October
Fruit: Bright red, tart apple with firm, white flesh.
Comments: Stores well; sweetens in storage. Early, annual heavy bearer.
Variety: Jonagold
Ripening month: Late September-early October
Fruit: Large; heavy red stripe over yellow. Firm and juicy. Flavor, resembles Jonathan. Stores well. Heavy bearer.
Comments: Productive, medium-size tree. Mildew susceptible. Needs pollinator (not Golden Delicious, one of its parents); will not pollinate other varieties.
Variety: Jonathan
Ripening month: September
Fruit: Small to medium, round-oblong. Bright red, juicy, tart, spicy, crisp apple.
Comments: All-purpose apple. Subject to mildew.
Variety: Macoun
Ripening month: Mid-October
Fruit: Medium, red striped, green apple. Sweet, crisp and juicy. Dessert and cooking.
Comments: Large, upright trees resistant to mildew, scab. Thin for fruit size. Drops badly when ripe.
Variety: McIntosh
Ripening month: Late August to September
Fruit: Medium to large. Bright red, nearly round. White, tender flesh. Tart.
Comments: Drops badly when ripe. Prefers cooler temperatures.
Variety: Melrose
Ripening month: Late October
Fruit: Medium, roundish, red striped. White flesh; acid, aromatic.
Comments: Jonathan/Delicious cross. Exceptional storage, good dessert apple. Mildew resistant.
Variety: Mutsu
Ripening month: Late October
Fruit: Medium, greenish yellow to yellow blushed red. White flesh, crisp, more tart than Golden Delicious.
Comments: Good dessert and cooking apple with long storage life. Tree exceptionally large and vigorous. Needs pollinator.
Variety: Liberty
Ripening month: Early October
Fruit: Medium, elongated, heavy red blush. Crisp, sweet-tart flavor.
Comments: Productive annual bearer. Immune to scab. Resists rust, fireblight.
Variety: Newtown Pippin (Yellow Newtown)
Ripening month: Late October
Fruit: Large, green. Crisp and tart, fair for eating, excellent for cooking.
Comments: Large vigorous tree. May be too late in many areas.
Variety: Northern Spy
Ripening month: Late October
Fruit: Large, red. Tender, fine-grained flesh. Sprightly flavor.
Comments: Slow to reach bearing age. Needs pollinator. Keeps well.
Variety: Red Astrachan
Ripening month: July-August
Fruit: Medium fruit. Green flesh with crimson stripes. Soft, juicy, tart flesh.
Comments: Good for eating and cooking. Will not store.
Variety: Red Gold
Ripening month: September
Fruit: Medium, slightly oblong, red with yellow, mild flesh. Juicy, keeps well.
Comments: Vigorous hybrid between Red Delicious and Golden Delicious.
Variety: Rome Beauty (Red Rome)
Ripening month: October
Fruit: Large, round, smooth, red. Greenish white flesh. Outstanding baking apple, but indifferent for eating fresh.
Comments: Early bearer. Red Rome is most frequently sold. Blooms late, escapes frost.
Variety: Spartan
Ripening month: Late September to October
Fruit: Small to medium, dark red/purple color. Crisp flesh, excellent flavor.
Comments: Equals McIntosh in flavor. Tree habit good; heavy bearing necessitates thinning.
Variety: Summerred
Ripening month: Late August
Fruit: Bright red; tart and good for cooking until fully ripe, then good dessert quality too.
Comments: Gets overripe too fast in hot-summer climates.
Variety: Wealthy
Ripening month: September
Fruit: Medium to large, red. Flesh white veined, pink, firm, tart, juicy. Good cooking variety.
Comments: Small, cold-hardy tree that tends to alternate bearing. Not for hot climates.
Variety: William's Pride
Ripening month: Early August
Fruit: Medium-size, red.
Comments: Moderate-size tree. Good, early red apple.
Variety: Winesap
Ripening month: Late September to October
Fruit: Medium to large, round. Lively flavor. Fine-grained, firm, juicy.
Comments: Old-timer that remains top favorite.
Variety: Winter Banana
Ripening month: Late September to early October
Fruit: Large, attractive, pale yellow blushed pink, waxy finish. Tender, tangy, aromatic.
Comments: Accepts mild winters. Needs pollinator. There is a Spur Winter Banana.
© 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.