Best Heirloom Dessert Apple Varieties?

This might expand your list of dessert apple varieties. A number have the same taste as COP but with more resistance.

I am always looking for another dessert apple tree for the kids

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Hey murky, I’ve seen your posts around here. thanks for adding your experiences as a PNW grower!! :slight_smile:

That’s so interesting that Hudson’s Golden Gem is a total dud for you, as Angela from Parkrose Permaculture highly recommends it and she lives just a few miles south of me.

Rubinette was reported to be difficult to grow so I was intimidated but hearing your reports is informative since our conditions are rather different than England.

Golden Russet would be up against Hudsons Golden Gem as I’m only looking to add one russetted apple at this time…seems this might be more reliable in our area…definitely one I will keep researching

I’d agree that the Grav is sweet-tart, though they’re mostly sweet when fully ripe and can be picked earlier for baking. If you prefer sweet to sweet-tart, it may not be the best choice. Same could be said of GoldRush.

Grimes does seem like a good choice for you. It’s sweet but has (to me) a more interesting flavor than many sweet apples, and it’s useful for many purposes (fresh eating, baking, drying, sauce, cider). It’s also self-fertile and an excellent pollenizer for other varieties.

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Thanks for the info! I would never be able to compare Goldrush to Grimes Golden without someone’s experience. It seems Goldrush is a safe bet in terms of productivity in my area but I am enchanted by the idea of sweet, exceptional flavors.

I’m reading this thread and its bringing up a very interesting and tangentially related issue of what rootstocks people prefer. I have read numerous forum posts now very critical of the intensively planted of the Backyard Orchard Culture method, with some people even suggesting its a bit of a conspiracy to sell more apple trees (lol!). For my own romantic notion of a backyard orchard, trees should be a respectable size with a canopy I can sit under (15 to 20 feet max). I also buy into the idea that the more dwarfing rootstocks limit the lifespan of the trees, as does the very extensive pruning they must be subjected to in order to maintain the intensive planting. So I’m only buying semi-dwarf rootstocks in hopes that I can mitigate some of the lifespan shortening effect of the dwarf and miniature rootstocks, while staying a little smaller than the full size, which I don’t have room for. Spacing all my trees a good 12 feet apart so they will form a close canopy but shouldn’t be too obstructive to each other. Would love to hear opinions on this too but it might be a whole 'nother thread lol

I’d never heard of this site… And am not super impressed. King David is great. As is Stayman and (a homegrown) Golden Delicious. Arkansas Black requires (a lot of) storage time before they really get good. All undeserving of their disrespect, IMO.

Snarky indeed.

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I just discovered it too but apparently this guy is a hotshot in the apple community (so much press!). I think he’s accurate to my tastes as Gala and Pink Lady are the only market varieties I buy. I think the overall ascertainment of tart vs sweet should be pretty consistent. Happy to see GoldRush highly ranked there as well. Very few heirloom apples are reviewed though but I’m happy to see them subjected to the same rigorous appraisal as modern varieties, wouldn’t want to plant them only because they are novelties and not as good flavor-wise

Then there is:

A right tolerable eating apple, but sublime cooking apple.

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He panned Pink Lady.

I guess we aren’t the apple community you are referring to.

Golden Russet gets exceptionally sweet and has a unique and excellent flavor.

edit: FWIW, I’ve never had a Gala that I liked. So perhaps take my opinions with a grain of salt.

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lol I think he’s the apple EATING community, I don’t think he grows fruit. Pink Lady got a high review? seems like a lot of variation within cultivars anyway depending on source, season, ripening, storage so I’m taking all opinions with a grain of salt

Yes, tasting requires an open mind. I attended tastings put on by Master Gardeners at a County Extension Agency in a neighboring county for a couple of years while building my little orchard. I didn’t plant all at once. I savored the experience by seeing what appealed to me from what others were able to grow locally. I suggest rejecting preconceived notions and adhering instead to what works. There really is such a thing as terroir.

Heirlooms are bound to loom large in tastings if only because established plantings run heavily toward them. Some of them are quirky, one-trick strains that have been passed along just for a special purpose such as baking, but there are others that are valued for general purposes. You probably want some of each. Be aware that there are lots of introductions of the last century (borderline heirlooms) that are very good. Not only have they stood the test of time, but also they’ve endured the rigors of selection by Land Grant Colleges for economic value. Stay away from the latest fads unless you like cloyingly sweet fruit without a lot of character.

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Yeah, I must have mis-remembered from my browsing of his ratings.

I find Pink Lady quite variable. I’ve had some really outstanding ones. More than with other apples, good coloring seems to correspond to better apples with that variety.

He gives Opal a 68, which doesn’t seem consistent with the description, unless he’s judging it by looks:

the Opal apple is exceptionally sweet and juicy. In fact, the complex flavor profile featuring hints of banana, coconut, and pear make this Czech-born, oddly-named monstrosity a delight to consume.

I also not only like, but probably prefer, dense apples and I don’t mind thick skin.

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One thing to keep in mind is that there are more good apples than you have time to learn them all! And as others have pointed out, terroir matters, the year matters, everything seems to matter.

Speaking only from my own personal experience on my own tree here in Western Montana, these are the varieties I would have if I had room to plant a tree of each:

Karmijn de Sonnaville
Rubinette
Kidds Orange Red
Cox’s Orange Pippin
Gold Rush
Calville Blanc

But since none of those are early apples I’d want to add these:

State Fair
Liberty
Pixie Crunch

If I had room I’d add:

Ginger Gold
Yellow Delicious.

I also have the following varieties I’d hate to give up:

Jonagold
Prairie Spy

And I’m waiting on these, which I haven’t had fruit yet:

Snow
Wealthy
Pomme Gris
Zabernau Reinette
Esopus Spitzenberg
Jonathon
Ashmead’s Kernal
Hawkeye

And there’s one or two others I’ve lost in the jungle. So be careful what you start …

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They are a blend of sweet and tart. Juicy and crisp they definitely get your attention when you bite into one. :slight_smile:

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One side of my Rubinette espalier today:

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What did you not like about the Arkansas Black apple?

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It make a fine pie, cobbler, etc. And stored for a spell, make a decent eating apple.
And it’s among the easier to grow.

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LOL - no not me - it was rated (very) poorly on the website http://applerankings.com/

apparently this person does not like it at all

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If Gala is so ‘mediocre’…how has it become the #1 seller…now ahead of Red Delicious.

Gotta give the guy points for creativity, though. :slight_smile:

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It’s the beginning of apple season, this is exactly what you should do! Locate your local orchards with the most interesting offerings of varieties and keep watch for what they’re picking, and while you’re there engage the growers in conversation for their opinions on what’s best to grow and why. Queener Farm is only an hour south of you, and there must be many more even closer to Portland.

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