Ashmead's Kernel

Today we harvested some of the leftover apples, too few for cider making.

Here is the Ashmead's Kernel.

This apple originates in England in the 1700s and is a russeted a golden brown with an orange or reddish bronze cheek.  

This apple has a different texture than my other cider apples.  Although a russet, the skin is not as leathery, the first bite doesn't produce a strong crack, but yet it is sugary, juicy, aromatic and has a distinctive, acidic sweet flavor.

This one was a pleasant surprise.

Cider Apples

The Golden Russet

I didn't intend to buy the Golden Russet when I planned my cider orchard.  I was looking for historically significant, really special apples and this one just seemed...well, a little ordinary.  But I was persuaded by an apple connoisseur who said that the Golden Russet was quite possibly the greatest American cider apple.

I would have to say that deferring to the expert really paid off.  Of all the apples we pressed, this was the juiciest, hardiest, most disease-resistant apple in the orchard.  It produced a lovely tart & sweet juice.

Here's a review by a very serious apple lover:  Golden Russet Review.

What's a Russet?

See how this apple's skin looks a little brown...like a Russet potato some might say.  Russets sometimes have a brown, splotchy or leathery skin.  In Shakespeare's time, this type of apple was referred to as a "Leatherskin."  When you bite into a Russet apple, you'll hear a loud crack and experience a burst of flavor.  While not as picturesque as apples cultivated for today's aesthetics, this heirloom variety typically produces the highest sugar content and varied flavor profile.

The Golden Russet dates back to the 1700s from New York.

So while I may originally have thought this one to be ordinary, I couldn't have been more wrong.