Favorite Russet Apples

General Fruit Growing
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My wife and myself both really love russet apples (basically American golden russet as that is all we can get in the market/store) and are looking to expand. We love the complex flavors. I am growing Golden Russet and Ashmeads Kernel (too close spacing I think now). I am considering Golden Nugget and Ergemont russet but am looking for other suggestions as they are very hard to find.

One questions I have an ashmeads in fairly close spacing that has fireblight fairly bad (I have had to remove a whole scaffold) - I am wondering if I should try to grow it in another better location or if it is very susceptible as it is one of the primary diseases in my yard right now.

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I have a 3 yr old Hudson Golden Gem… which has not bloomed yet… so no fruit yet.

Most nursery descriptions of it make it sound really good…

below from Orangepippintrees…
…
Hudson’s Golden Gem is one of the best-flavored russet apples. The fruits are quite large, with a pale green skin which is usually extensively covered with a light russet. The flesh has a light crispness, and a pear-like sweetness. Like many russets, it has an interesting sweet juice quality which is very useful for cider.
…

I pruned it some late summer, hoping to bring out some fruit spurs… hope to get to try them next year.

It is a stout healthy tree, mine is on M7 rootstock. It has two large red cedars 30 ft of it, and is hardly affected at all by car.

I will be glad when I get to eat one.

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Ditto that.

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A good russet is tough to beat. They tend to be dense, and honeyed, and a little sharp tasting in all the right ways. But some have that pear-like flavor that I find kind of off putting.

HGG is definitely one of those pear type ones. And some people really love that, but when I read the description of “pear” in russets, I stay away.

To my tastes, Hoople’s Antique Gold is an excellent russet. So is Roxbury Russet and Chestnut Crab (sort of russeted). I’ve added a bunch of other russets in recent years that haven’t fruited for me yet. I’m most excited about Windham Russet, Lincolnville Russet, and Zabergau Reinette.

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I had a Hudson’s Golden Gem tree , it just was taken down by a beaver this year. I was anxious to try the HHC but I was disappointed in it. It tasted okay and did not keep well.
I have Reinette Zabargau apple tree as well. Very productive. I had a bumper crop last year. I made excellent apple butter from them. They are good, not crisp, but tasty. Has a dryer flesh. Once they get over ripe they have a texture like an Asian pear. Still one of my favorite apples in my orchard. I only have three apples in it this year.
I also had a Roxbury Russet and I liked it too. It is more crisp than the Zabergau. It too was taken down by the beaver. I need to replace it with another Roxbury Russet trees next year.

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Hooples Antique Gold gets my vote for a delicious russet apple.

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I currently raise trees bearing two russet varieties: Egremont Russet and MN1734. I am on the shore of Lake Michigan in Zone 5b. Probably this is fairly similar to your growing season.

• I had Golden Russet, but the tree died for reasons unknown. It was on B9. Other B9 trees have flourished, however. The tree had enough size but was never vigorous. It was difficult to prune because of its weepy nature. I didn’t care for the taste of Golden Russet for eating out of hand, but I hear that it makes a great Midwest cider. I have another start and hope to propagate it once more.

I dispute the assertion of Borrie and Chaussee that the flavor of Golden Russet is more intense than Egremont Russet. My Golden Russet, which may never have had a good season, bore fruit that tasted a grassy kind of bland.

• Egremont Russet has an interesting taste. Unfortunately for me the tree is way too vigorous because it is a shy bearer. I have failed at pruning aggressively and have consequently decided to let the tree do its own thing.

I doubt Dembski’s characterization of this apple a good keeper, but, then, I’ve never had enough of it to keep.

• MN1734 may be worth a look. It has a perfumey taste, but texture is quite woody. This may be why it has never to my knowledge been named. I think what little I harvest adds greatly to my cider.

• You might possibly like Golden Noble, too. It has a sandy skin that is very near to russeted. In a good year, the tree bears well, the flavor is nice for eating out of hand, but the crop cooks very well, too. It makes a distinctly textured sauce.

Dembski, et al., describe this as a yellow apple. The tree I have from him bears yellow fruit with a red blush. To me they’re orange.

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Take a look at Hunt, St. Edmunds & Rosemary Russets. Saint Edmunds grows in a sheltered place at higher altitude than my yard, where it was extraordinary when I got some several years ago. It ripens fairly early & keeps about 4 weeks, maybe longer in Ontario. I grew Hunt & Rosemary, both trees did well, but too dry & hot for the fruit. Your mileage should vary in positive ways.

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My Hudson Golden Gem and Akane trees… both in year 4… bloomed nicely this spring and have fruit set now. First bloom for them (after summer pruning) the previous 2 summers.

Hope to get to try some of all my apples this year…

A decent review of HGG on youtube… harvest, taste test.

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‘Egremont Russet’ is, in my humble opinion, a pretty boring apple, though it’s the gateway to russets for a lot of folks.

I’m a huge apple nerd and my wife loves russets, so hopefully I can help you find one to try!

In terms of disease resistance, may I suggest the small but mighty ‘Pitmaston Pine Apple’ (aka Pitmaston Pineapple)? Yes, the apples are quite small even when thinned, but the flavour is superb - sweet, tart, nutty, with honeyed complexity and yes, some pineapple notes (though the name is due to the colour and texture/appearance, not the taste). It’s a trouble-free variety and makes a ridiculously good juice or, if you have the patience (I do) to core all those little apples, stupidly good apple crumble, apple sauce, or even pie or strudel (just add a little lemon juice to balance the sweetness and don’t add any sugar to the fruit).

Rarer (maybe?) russets that I think warrant more attention, in no specific order:

Nutmeg Pippin - a great old russet, hard & tart, and a great keeper.

Ellison’s Orange - the best combo of cox & russet flavour, though can be a little more prone to pests. Still, easy to grow and a crowd-pleaser. The red sport is even prettier than the original.

St Edmund’s Russet - very heavy russeting, and better depth of flavour than E.R. - sort of E.R. on steroids, if you will; and easy to grow.

Norfolk Royal Russet - those who know it would argue it’s the best of the russets, and I’m inclined to agree - taste is subjective, sure, but this is one of those “wow” apples; everyone who tries it loves it. Probably one of my top 10 apples for taste.

Pitmaston Russet Nonpareil - sometimes only lightly russeted, but a delicious apple with proper ‘nonpareil’ flavour.

Rosemary Russet - on the firmer side, great crunch, can lean nicely savoury if you’re into that.

[Edit: I guess I should clarify that all of these are very much dessert apples, not cookers, so when I say ‘tart’ I just mean they’ve got a nice balanced edge rather than just being purely sugary-sweet.]

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Thanks for the list, Norfolk Royal Russet sounds very enticing.

I also wonder how much disease experience in UK translates to US East coast.

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I’m sure very little disease overlap, but I figured mentioning what was hardy-ish for me vs what was a bit more needy was better than nothing. :grinning:

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Can anyone comment on how Zabergau Reinette and Hudson’s Golden Gem compare in when fruit is ripe? Thx

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Please be a little more specific with what you are asking. Are you asking about the comparing looks, taste, ripening times, etc…

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Having never heard of Norfolk Royal Russet, I just looked it up on the Temperate Orchard Conservancy scion list. They have “Norfolk Royal.” So it is possible on this side of the Atlantic.

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Sorry, I mean in ripening time. I want to plant both (but also need to see if it is reasonable to attempt Z. R. here in the Piedmont of NC), but I prefer to space out my fruit a bit timewise.

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In my yard, HAG is a week or so earlier than Zabergau Russet.

On a wet year, both were bloated and their eating quality compromised.
In general, I like HAG a lot. It is a beautiful apple (in my eyes).

I got Zabergau fruited last year for the first time and we had a lot of rain when it ripened. The fruit was large. HAG is a medium size compared to ZR.

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I had both. The Zabergau ripens a few weeks later than the Hudson’s. I took out the Hudson’s it was just okay as far as taste and was not a good producer. Sparse crops and not a big apple. At least in my orchard. I enjoy the Zabargau. It can produce huge apples, some were 14 -15 oz. I make a lot of apple butter with them. Plus apple crisps.

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Curious what your top 10 are

Thanks

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I tasted Z.R. at Monticello a few years ago. It was the first russet I tasted and it blew my mind. I thought it was pear-y, but also absolutely delicious. It’s the apple I still dream about years later.

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