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Nice. I’ve got a young dwarf Otterson bearing a decent crop, it’s second. The variety seems trouble-free. As I recall, it’s more edible than Redfield. When will yours ripen? And do you use it as a dessert apple?
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nice! i have it grafted on my redlove odysso but it hasnt fruited yet. how’s the taste?
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I tried grafting it spring before last, but none of them took. Grafted Hidden Rose instead this spring.
Neat looking little red apple. Like Steve asked, how does it taste?
It wasn’t ripe yet…tasted sour
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LOL – I think it will taste sour even when it is ripe. ) I grow only two red-fleshed varieties – Redfield and Otterson. They look very similar. Redfield is so sour that I would never serve it to a friend as a dessert apple. But Otterson, as I recall from tasting a few last year, is less sour and could be acceptable. I was just trying to get another view.
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From the literature I find Otterson is supposed to be low acid when ripe, with “soft” tannins, suitable for cider making. Ripe first of October in western NY, I expect it to ripen in far eastern Washington about September 17. It also may be quite low in acid here, due to high light & heat all summer with very low humidity.
My whip, on Gen30, was re-planted from the pot in spring of ‘23, so it will be another season or two before it has a sample fruit. It is currently 5’ 10" tall, with a single branch. Several branches less than 8 inches from the graft union got removed in June. (Since Redfield & Winekist, the only other red-fleshed apples in my care, have both been spreading trees, I encourage Otterson to get height first.)
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