One thing I know about Goldrush- the apple off the tree and the apple out of 3-4 months storage are more different than many distinct varieties are from each other. The acid completely subdues and the skin becomes more tender too, as I recall. It is, all, and all as consistent in quality as anything I grow- at least when the season is not particularly short.
I like apples like Pink Lady, Spitz, Suncrisp, Ash K. and others just as much off the tree, but GR is so grower friendly (almost prunes itself), precocious. productive and good out of storage that I think every orchard in regions that get similar results should have a GR tree.
Have a Gold Rush question for those who have experienced them. I have two Gold Rush trees. One might flower next year so don’t know what it will produce, the other is maybe 4-5 years older. It has had a tough go of it, eaten back by deer before my fence was up, gophers, etc. Still a small tree but has been producing fruit for the last two seasons. The apples it produces are small (a bit bigger than a golf ball) take forever to ripen, and remain a brown-tan color even when the seeds would indicate ripeness.
I am beginning to wonder whether this “Gold Rush” might be something else. I certainly don’t see any fruit that looks like what others get for this variety. Just curious do other prople’s Gold Rush apples start out tan-brown in color and then ripen to a yellow? If so, then perhaps my growing season is just not long enough. If not, it may be time to graft this mystery tree to something else.
I had to go eat one since we are talking about them. I don’t even let my wife or kids eat them when they are still this nicely flavored. They can have some when they sweeten up then I’m not so possessive of them.
Thanks Alan, that’s what I gathered from the descriptions and pics here. Are real Gold Rush apples ever a brown color all over? I suspect not, in which case need to find some scions for this tree…
Lots of us have goldrush. To get any scions from me you have to do most of the work and send me a stamped addressed envelope with the diameter length and overall weight of the wood you need. I only do that work in a trade.
Thanks Alan, but I wasn’t hinting that I wanted a GR scion from you (though I see how what I wrote might be taken that way). Since I already have another GR tree, I think I will need to decide which other apple variety I should use to replace this “non-GR”. May as well use this as an opportunity to add something new. I was thinking Canadian Strawberry, but need to ponder it a while…
I highly recommend Spitz if you want another storable apple that makes you palate go Wow! It ripens a bit earlier than Goldrush, so provides some insurance against a late spring here.
I’ve only got one graft growing for Esopus, my other one didn’t take. Luckily it’s shot off branching so I’m going to use it to graft onto other limbs.
My gold rush tastes not as good as last year. It lacks the spicy flavour I expect this year. It is an average apple this year. Except russet category, Braeburn imported from Chile and New Zealand is the best, the one from Washington state is not that good. I have a Braeburn tree which has been fruiting 3 years, the flavour is similiar as Washington state one. I have decided to cut down just because it is not outstanding in my climate.
There are lots of discussions on golden russet apples. People have different experiences since they taste different golden russet varieties. Golden russet may refer to a category, not a specific variety. I have tried around 10 golden russet from local orchards . I think it is not an outstanding fresh eating apple until this Fall. I hit one!!! Wow, it is King of kings! Very Sweet and acid, flesh is melting. The following article looks like describing the one I had this Fall https://www.google.ca/amp/s/ciderappleproject.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/the-mystery-of-the-golden-russet-part-three/amp/
