Freyberg is variable, even from apple to apple it can vary a fair amount. This year I had unbelievably awesome ones and some perfectly decent ones. It is very aromatic, has a great crunch, and is not too bad on the rotting. Its not a super productive tree but does pretty good. I get too much squirrel swiping as its by a tall tree (and, they know the tasty ones).
Overall its an under-appreciated apple in my mind.
Is Freyberg is mid-season or late apple?
Its mid. It is in the Golden Delicious family (children of GD) and it is on the early side of that family.
Thanks - looking for something late
In another thread i posted about my favorite apple so far - Pink Lady.
This year, flavorwise, i have Bravo de Esmolfe and Rubinette Rosso Rafzubex going head to head to dispute second place. They both have very different distinctive and wonderful flavors.
Reine des Reinettes and Topaz (for my taste) will probably be graded very high in the future when these trees mature.
Despite being a strange and awkward year, the basic apples are also excellent in taste - Gala, Golden Delicious and the favorite cooking apple over here - Reineta Parda.
For those, like me, that like acid/tart apples the earliest one i have, a very well known Portuguese apple, Riscadinha de Palmela was exceptionally good this year (i like it quite green, picked from the tree). Here it his, in the first days of August:
Beautiful fruit, and nice harvest, J. That RdP is very unique looking. Is the Rubinette you have the same as the variety here in the States? It’s probably close enough. How would you describe the flavor and texture? I was considering maybe adding Rubinette next year. Thanks.
His is probably the same.
The apple called Rubinette in the U.S. is known to have originally come from Switzerland.
Thanks.
“Riscadinha de Palmela” can be translated as “Stripped from Palmela”, so named because of the uncommon striped look. The only thing with this variety is that it’s not a very good keeper. It tends to get softer after a month and loose that tart flavor that i like. That’s not really a problem. Being one of the first apples of the year for me, it doesn’t last very long anyway 
The Rubinette i have is a sport of the original one (slightly bigger and more red looking). The flavor is excellent, sweet but complex, with very slight tartness and with a small spicy note. Probably not much different than the original Rubinette (that i don’t have to compare).
Here’s more information:
http://www.pepival.com/IMG/pdf/Rubinette_GB.pdf
In Orange Pippin site they mention this Red Sport (in the Tasting Tab) but i don’t find the apple so difficult to grow as they say, nor i have to thin it aggressively (until now) to get a good medium apple. I have the original in M7 rootstock, that has just a couple of years in the ground.
It was bought from a French nursery and i also grafted a couple backup’s on 4 year old trees replacing the original Gala. These produce lots more apples as expected but the size is a bit smaller, so they are probably right on the thinning needs.
https://www.orangepippin.com/apples/rubinette
My number one fave of all time is Ashmead’s Kernal, which I grow here in the NorCal mountains (app. 4,000 ft) without a significant amount of trouble.
Of course, Jesse Hiatt’s “Hawkeye” is aa very close second. However, no red sport of "Hawkeye
" has ever made the grade with myself, my family, or any of the neighbors.
Our 3rd fave would have to be Arkansas Black, without a doubt! I think tha
t we all have our top 100 favorites, which would clog and confuse any number of us, particularly those who do not grow apples, so I’ll stop here. Three cheers to Heirloom Apples!!! Pat in Norcal
just got finished eating an organic pink lady…,one of the best apples I’ve had in a while…very crisp, dense, kind of sweet and tart at the same time…I’m not the best with apple descriptions, but I can tell you I would have been able to eat a whole bag of these…
I recommend two Polish varietes, Alwa (probably macoun x boiken) and Gold Millenium (unknown parentage, some seedling from USA). Very tasty apples, crunchy, well balanced sugar acidity ratio.
Around here (Qc), everybody grow the same varieties (Honeycrisp, Cortland, McIntosh, Empire and Lobo). We import (mainly from Ontario, California and New Zealand) only a couple of other varieties (Red Delicious, Ginger gold, Golden delicious, Golden Russet, Gala, Granny Smith, Jazz, Sunrise and Pink Lady). Doesn’t matter where I shop (grocerie stores, fruits and veggies stores, farmer’s markets or even orchards), I rarely see other varieties… When I buy apples, I usually like McIntosh for cooking and Cortland, Golden Russet or Empire for eating out of hand. I love the juiciness and crunchiness of Jazz, Honeycrips, etc., but I don’t like their taste… Anyone else think they don’t taste like apple? Lol… to me, they taste very sweet and almost pear like. Guess it’s also a cultural thing, since I grew up mainly on MacIntosh… They are very popular around here.
If you have a suggestion for me (to grow or simply eat), I would love to read it!!! Here is a description of my favorite apple, from an unidentified tree of a friend:
I suggest you graft a tree from your friend’s unidentified favorite.
Surely there is someone close enough to help you with it.
There was a time that would never have crossed my mind, but after reading, and learning, and doing it myself, I don’t see it as a crazy suggestion.
Yes, that is what I’ll do. I’d still love to know the variety and I’d still love to try other similar apples! It would be best for me to graft onto rootstock. Just have to find one…
Jessica if you are in Quebec, you should be able to find some pretty good sources for rootstock that will mail to you. Siloame Orchards, Silver Creek Nursery ,Wiffletree , and Pepinier Ancestrale. They all sell rootstock and young apple trees some of which are heirloom varieties or just hard to find ones.
There are so many apple varieties it is almost pointless to even attempt to guess, but could it be an Arkansas Black?
That’s what I am wondering. I never had it (never saw it anywhere). They say it is very tart and hard. The ones from my friend’s tree are very tart, but also very sweet. They are a bit hard, but still nice to eat. I know there are so many varieties. That’s why I am saying: “if you have a suggestion”, so if you know of an apple that taste like that, even though it might not be the same, I still think I might love that apple and would look for it.
How did Ginger Golds do for you? There is a pick your own near by here and this past summer (late July/early August) we went there and the only Apple that was available for picking was Ginger gold. I liked it just for that reason.
Clean looking fruit Matt! Not a blemish on it!
