Tart yet tasty apple varieties

[moose71]

we have the old russian variety yellow transparent that has naturalized itself on old farmland. its a rather soft apple , great for pies and applesauce. is pretty tart till almost white but becomes very perishable at that point. its one of the few cultivars that will do well in our zone 3 up here. i have 2 on my lawn and i forage in late july for the wild ones to make my sauce for the winter. they are very prolific.

[MikeC]

Yellow Transparent is a good apple for sauce. A short eating apple period. Then it gets too soft for my family. I had one a few years ago. None of my family members liked that well enough to really use them all. I ended up trying to give them away. It was a very productive apple tree.

[moose71]

unfortunately up here we don’t have much of a choice . macintosh and cortland even have a hard time making it .

[MikeC]

How about a Wealthy apple variety? You probably know about Fedco Seeds Co-Op? Correct? They have more fruit tree varieties that do well in Maine I would think. They are in Clinton, Maine.

[zeamaizing]

Here are a few more tart-ish apples to consider, most of which are somewhat early:
Pink Pearl
Elstar
Sansa
Crimson Topaz
Wickson
Rhode Island Greening
Black twig
King David
Baldwin

[murky]

@Matt_in_Maryland

Ashmead’s Kernel is widely variable in the quality of different specimens, but on rare occassion you can get a really good one in Oct or Nov that has super sweet and super sour in-your-face flavor, with a crisp bite. My mother shared a really good one with me and it figuratively knocked her on her behind with tart but still within the range of pleasant flavor.

I’ve never had an Ashmead’s Kernel that was anywhere near as sweet as the good Golden Russets I have. They always have just tasted sour to me. I’d love to try one over 20 brix, since so many people seem to love that apple.

[MikeC]

I’m growing an Ashmead’s Kernel because so many people have stated this is such a great apple. I will see when it grows here in my orchard. If it doesn’t amaze me with its greatness I will replace it. No reason to a so-so apple growing in my orchard. I have a Golden Russet growing as well. It will produce some apples this year.

[moose71]

i wish i had more room for another apple. i have the yellow transparent and a cold weather fuji right now. would save me from relying on willd apples for sauce.

[mamuang]

Moose,
What is “cold weather Fuji”? I just planted Fuji last year. I chose the variety that ripens a bit early. Fuji is supposed to be late ripening apple and that is my concern. I am a few zones warmer than you, even.

[subdood_ky_z6b]

Hey Mike, so what apples will you have this year to sample, besides Golden Russet? I know you have a bunch of lesser known varieties.

No apples here from our new trees, but we have a mystery apple out on our fence line that is different than the usual Milam’s we have. It’s just a small branch off an old tree that decided to produce this year. The fruit is right now about 3x the size of the Milam fruitlets. Plus, they look to be tip bearing apples, so not a lot to try. I think there might be about three or four dozen fruitlets on there.

I think I got one to sample one last year from that same tree, it was about the size of a golf ball, but very tasty, kinda reminded me of a Winesap. Hopefully these new apples are the same variety.

[speedster1]

@mamuang

What is “cold weather Fuji”? I just planted Fuji last year. I chose the variety that ripens a bit early.

I assumed that’s what he meant by cold weather Fuji. Often referred to as early Fuji. Likely a Fuji that takes fewer days to ripen aka good for colder weather climates.

[murky]

Like Auvril, September Wonder or Benni Shogun

[moose71]

yes. its a zone 4 fuji that flowers and fruits early. got it at tractor supply. regular fuji i believe is a zone 6 apple. its 7ft. tall and has had no winter dieback the last 2 winters…

[mamuang]

Mine is also an early Fuji variety called Rising Sun. Do you happen to know the ealy variety you have?

[moose71]

didn’t have a name other than fuji zone 4 on the box. looked it up online and then realized there was a early and late producing fuji. got it on clearance for $9. has put on 12in. of new growth so its hardy to my zone 3b.

[murky]

There are dozens of Fujis.

[MikeC]

I have one Rising Sun Fuji growing as well. I think I will actually get some apples to taste this year on mine. This is the 3rd leafing for this one.

[moose71]

I’m on my 2nd year . maybe next spring for mine.

[mamuang]

Please report how it tastes. I have heard that not all Fuji taste the same. Hope this variety is worth growing. Mine is on 2 nd leave. Hopefully, there will flower next year.

[MikeC]

Mine flowered the second leaf but the deer decided it looked too good to pass up. So they ate all the blossoms off the tree.