How does the red moon apple taste? Where does the apple variety come from? We answer all your questions about the red-fleshed apple variety 'Red Moon'.
Pink blossoms and dark red fruits with red flesh - the apple variety 'Red Moon' lives up to its name. With its intensely colored fruits, it is a real eye-catcher in the garden. But the 'Red Moon' is not only a real sensation because of its colorful apples, its robust nature also makes the old Russian apple variety a real collector's item. In this article we will tell you what properties make the red moon apple so special and how you can use the old apple variety in the kitchen.
Red Moon: Wanted Poster
| Synonyms | 'Red Standard', 'Weirouge' |
| Fruit | medium; deep red color |
| Flavour | juicy, aromatic, spicy-sour |
| Yield | high |
| Harvest time | from the end of September |
| Maturity for pleasure | from the end of September |
| Shelf Life | very good; Can be stored until March |
| Growth | medium strong |
| Climate | undemanding; very frost and weather resistant |
| Diseases and Pests | resistant to apple scab; susceptible to powdery mildew on unfavorable sites |
Origin and history of the apple
The story of the 'Red Moon' begins at the beginning of the 20th century: The Russian botanist and pomologist Ivan Mitshurin tried to breed very robust and frost-resistant apple varieties that would also thrive in Russia's fresh, continental climate. He crossed the red-fleshed Niedzwetzki apple (Malus niedzwetzkyana), a wild apple form, with the cultivated apple. Around 1915, the apple variety 'Red Standard' was created, which was later renamed 'Red Moon'. Due to its robust nature and intensely colored apples, the apple tree quickly spread from Russia toGermany, however, the Third Reich stopped the spread of the special apple variety. As a result, there were only a few specimens of the 'Red Moon' in Germany, so that the variety was almost forgotten. In 1999, the fruit grower Peter Stoppel applied for variety protection in Germany for a red-fleshed apple called 'Weirouge'. After a few years, however, this turned out to be identical to the 'Red Moon', which is why the variety protection was abandoned. Nevertheless, the term 'Weirouge' is still often used as a synonym for the 'Red Moon'. To this day, the 'Red Moon' is often found among enthusiasts, but also plays a major role in the breeding of other red-fleshed dessert apples such as the 'Baya Marisa'.
Red Moon apple: taste and properties
The 'Red Moon' apples are beautiful to look at: as they ripen, the yellow base color is increasingly covered by a deep red, which ultimately adorns the entire apple. There are only a few green lenticels on the otherwise red-washed skin. The medium-sized, round fruit, which hangs on a thin, medium-length stalk, only reveals its charm when you cut open the matt skin: almost the entire flesh is red, even the pips and shell have a clear red tinge. The intense red color of the apple is caused by an increased content of anthocyanins - these not only serve as a coloring agent, but also as antioxidants. This not only means that the pulp of the 'Red Moon' is less likely to brown when it comes into contact with oxygen, but also that the 'Red Moon' is particularly he althy. However, the firm and juicy flesh of the apple is not for everyone: Due to the low sugar content, combined with a high level of acids, the 'Red Moon' is an aromatic, but definitely sour apple. The tangy pulp of the 'Red Moon' and its sparkling acidity is therefore only suitable for fresh consumption to a limited extent.
Particularities of growing the apple tree
When cultivating the 'Red Moon', the aim was to develop an apple tree that could thrive and produce well even in Russia's harsh weather. In fact, the old apple variety is extremely robust: the strong tree tends to have medium-strong growth with medium branching density, of course depending on the rootstock. Depending on the base and location, the tree reaches a final height of between 3 and 5 meters. He willusually cultivated as a standard or half-stem and is considered very frugal. However, the 'Red Moon' unfolds its full splendor when it is planted in a sunny location with nutrient-rich soil. Such a location not only increases its yield, but also its color brilliance. A characteristic of the 'Red Moon' is that not only its flesh, but also its young leaves, its flowers and even its wood have a reddish tinge. In addition, as with most apple varieties, regular pruning can improve branching and yield.
The pink to red blossoms of the 'Red Moon' decorate the apple tree from April to May. Despite its comparatively early flowering, the 'Red Moon' apple tree can often be grown without problems in regions at risk of late frost - its flowering is considered to be extremely frost and weather resistant. The yield is particularly rich if you have a suitable pollinator nearby. In the case of the 'Roter Mond' apple variety, the varieties 'Weißer Klarapfel', 'Elstar' or 'James Grieve' are suitable for this task. In addition, the variety itself is considered a good pollen donor. In addition, the 'Red Moon' convinces with a good resistance to apple scab, but its fruits are quickly attacked by powdery mildew under unfavorable conditions.
Red Moon Apple: Harvest Time and Use
When the intensively colored 'Red Moon' apples shine on the tree at the end of September into October, the time has come for the harvest. Then the fruits are ready to be picked and eaten. The following applies: For an intensive red coloring of the fruit flesh, it is important to leave the apples on the tree for as long as possible. If the harvest date is too early, the red coloring of the fruit flesh is usually not yet fully developed.
The 'Red Moon' is only suitable to a limited extent for fresh consumption, as its spicy and sour taste is not well received by everyone. However, the 'Red Moon' is ideal for baking or for making applesauce or jams - its red color remains during processing. The 'Red Moon' can also be used as a cider apple thanks to its juicy pulp and produces excellent red apple juice.
But if you can't process your apples immediately, you don't have to worry about the 'Red Moon': The 'Red Moon' apple variety is also known for its good storage properties. Stored cool and dark, the apple can often be stored without any problems until March. But beware: Like many red-fleshed apple varieties, this one can also tolerate‘Red Moon’ no temperatures below 4 °C.
The 'Red Moon' isn't the right variety for you yet? We present other interesting, red-fleshed varieties in our article on Redlove apples.