Hi,
After eight years I finally got fruit from my winekist apple trees- thank you antanovka rootstock! There’s not a lot of information and pictures of these heirlooms so I thought I would share. The taste is tart, very crisp and when you slice into it looks like it drips blood, as you can see in one of the pictures.
Glad to finally get fruit and wanted
I love red-fleshed apples and peaches. What is the size of this beautiful apple? Is it more ‘crabapple’ size or medium apple size? Very pretty thing!
It almost looks like it’s seedless.
Oh there’s seeds in them, Im saving them to plant out next year.
I took the first picture about two or three weeks ago before they were ripe and the rest of the pictures today. They are small apples. I’m not sure they are fully ripe so I’m gonna let them hang on the trees.
I wish I had taken pictures of them in bloom- it was a beautiful sight!
I will gladly pay for some scions next spring! Those look amazing.
My Winekist/EMLA26 bloomed in its third leaf this season: seven spurs with 7 blooms each. Beautiful, but about mid-season; I had been told it ought to bloom first among apples. I kept two apples on it to confirm its ID. Sure enough, they were ripe last week of July! Good color, tartness, flavor and 12 Brix. My wife took a bite and looked at me: “Cider!” which was my thought, too. Someday when it yields a crop it’ll need to be pressed with something offering more sugars or it will turn out some very low AVB.
Rambour Franc is getting old enough to begin blooming and I hope it will fit that bill.
I’m in Spokane, WA, at 47+ north, in the deep rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains - low rainfall and humidity. This apple has no need for any sprays, nor coddling moth protection. Love that.
Sounds like a plan! I see delicious cider in your future…
I see in reading my note that it should have been ‘ABV’ for alcohol by volume. Oops.
Among the saplings out back is a whip of Wynoochee Early, which might also contribute to cider, as it is ripe about the same time. Wynoochee was found in western Washington state circa 1950 or a bit before. It is reputed to yield large fruit, high flavor and it keeps until Christmas. That is unusual for an August apple. So far I have not found an indication if its Brix at ripening. Time will tell. Another of its characteristics is its skin nearly dissolves in cooking/baking - no need to peel it. Pretty excited about the potential.
Cool looking apple!
Winekist is lovely inside and out. Debut fruit this year were 2" high and wide, 12 Brix and surprisingly good flavor. I think it would make the most amazing Tarte Tatin, and its cider potential begs to be tried. Easiest apple to grow I have so far.
It should also be noted this apple has no disease issues, nor is it bothered by codling moth caterpillar.
I re-planted my Winekist to a neighbor house last year, because the tree is a spreader. I had hoped for something vertical. Will have maybe ten apples on it this year.
Is the apple the size of a Crabapple that you would make jelly from?
I’ve never heard of an apple not bothered by codling moth. Is there some reason for that? Anyone else experience this?
I’m not growing Winekist, but I’ve noticed that the other red-fleshed apples that I grow here have so far been overlooked by codling moths. (Bird pecks are another story.) In addition, those with hard flesh and/or thick skin appear to suffer relatively few losses. Examples: Hauer Pippin, Goldrush, Magnum Bonum, Stayman, Granny Smith.
Oddly, I’ve never observed a codling moth strike on a Gravenstein, a late summer apple. The aphids have been giving the Grav fits for the last couple of years, though. Maybe the worms don’t want to get in line behind all the aphids.
Earlier in this thread I mentioned the two samples measured 2" x 2" - small apple or too fat to be a crab. It is probably a candidate for ruby colored jelly. And no food coloring!
I’ve encountered four so far that codling moths leave alone - in preference for Liberty and Rambour Franc. Those two seem to be magnets for codling moths.
Those that have been spared in my experience:
Winekist, Redfield, Twenty Ounce (this still needs verified ID; my best estimate) and Hunt Russet.
I think something in the red-flesh apples deters them. Hunt seems to have a dense skin, even though its russet is limited. Maybe Twenty Ounce (if correctly named) is also denser in skin, or maybe something else distracts 'em.
I have noticed this in wild apples, some trees will have multiple holes in each and every apple and other neighboring trees will have few to no codling moth.
The apples I like always are on the high brix side- 12 is quite low. I’ve measured Spitz that got up into the 20’s on a wet year. The reason my Honeycrisps have sucked in recent years is because rain and vigorous roots have watered them to below 13. It’s gotten to the point where I pray for summer drought, but in recent years my prayers have not been answered- at least not until it is too late to really bring up flavor and sugar.
I hope a higher brix red-flesh is developed- I love the look.
