Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
Sometimes it pays to go back to the tried and tested. For example with the apple tree: We present 30 old, almost forgotten apple varieties.
Braeburn, Gala, Elstar - everyone knows the classic apple varieties from the supermarket. The apple (Malus) has so much more to offer. Because with over 15,000 different varieties, you certainly don't have to get bored. It doesn't always have to be the latest hybrid variety. After all, old varieties are often not only more resilient and easy to grow, but also well tolerated and extremely aromatic. Below are our 30 favorite apple varieties that are tried and true and definitely deserve a place in your garden.
Adams Parmäne: Old winter apple variety from England (1826); cone-shaped fruits with greenish-yellow skin and reddening on the sun side; ready to harvest from October, ready to eat until March; juicy, tender flesh with a lemony flavor.
Alantapfel (synonyms: Prinzessinapfel, Princesse Noble): Old German apple variety from the 16th century; small to medium-sized, cone-shaped fruits with striped, dotted skin without russeting; ripe from October to December (winter apple); sweet-spicy, vinous aroma; well suited as a table apple. Here you can buy the Alan apple.
Altländer pancake apple (synonym: Thurgau Kent): discovered near Hamburg in 1840; medium-sized, flat-round fruits with green-yellow color; ready to harvest from the end of October to November, ready to eat from February to June; greenish-white, sweet-tart flesh; full flavor only after storage, but suitable for further processing immediately after harvest; robust and scab resistant.
Baldwin (synonyms: Woodpecker, Red Pepping): Native of Massachusetts (1740); medium-sized, flat-topped fruits with a pale yellow skin that is bright red on the sunny side and white-yellow spots; ready to harvest from November to March; juicy, sweet-vinous aroma; easy to store, little prone to damage in transit.
Bramley's seedling (synonym: Triomphe de Kiel): Discovered in southern England between 1809 and 1813; larger than average, spherical fruits in green-yellow with cloudy orange on the sunny sideSprinkle; ripe from October; firm, very sour flesh; resilient.
Brauner Matapfel (synonyms: Unterländer apple, Schwarzlicher, Schmiedeapfel, Baden Brauner, Echter Kohlapfel): Oldest known apple variety, discovered around 1600; medium-sized fruits with light red skin, dark violet on the sunny side; ready for harvest from October, keeps until May; juicy, vinous-sweet aroma; well suited for wine and juice production.
Champagne Renette (synonyms: loskrieger, onion apple, goldgranater): Comes from Champagne (1799); small, globular fruits with greenish-yellow skin; ready to eat from December to May; firm, fresh and sour pulp; refreshing table apple, suitable for juicing. If you want to buy Renette champagne, you'll find it here.
Danziger Kantapfel (synonyms: strawberry/raspberry apple, Swabian rose apple, love apple): Very old and undemanding variety, described in Germany since 1760; medium-sized apple with a clearly visible seam; predominantly red when ripe at the end of September; rose apple-like aroma with mild acidity; very easy to store; regular income; suitable for high altitudes. Here you can buy the Gdańsk Cantapple.
Flachs Guldering: Old Tyrolean country variety; large, truncated conical fruits with bright red skin and small dots; ready for harvest from mid-October, keeps until spring; mild, sweet and sour taste; general robustness, scab and mildew resistant.
Gacksapfel: Old German winter apple variety; medium-sized fruits with a pale green base color and lilac-grey frosting; ripe from the end of September, can be stored until April; refreshingly sour pulp; easy to store; frost hardy and robust, very resistant to scab.
Flamed Cardinal (synonyms: Pleissner Rambur, Bischofsmütze, Dickapfel, Kaiserapfel): Very old, formerly widespread apple variety from northern Germany, known since 1801; medium-sized fruits with different shape and straw yellow color; harvest from mid-September to October; almost white flesh with a refreshing taste; good shelf life; good resistance to diseases and pests; Variety gets very old.
Gehrer's Rambur: accidental discovery from Baden-Württemberg, discovered in 1885; medium-sized, spherical fruits in green, brownish-red on the sunny side; juicy and sour pulp; very suitable for juicing; good fertility and high yield; resistant to fire blight.
Yellow Bellefleur (synonyms: Sheep's Nose, Yellow Apple, Lady Washington): Old onesNew Jersey winter apple variety (1750); medium-sized, cone-shaped fruits with yellow skin and a slight blush; ready to eat from November to March; crunchy flesh with a unique banana flavor. Here you can buy the Yellow Bellefleur variety.
Yellow Saxon Renette: Very old local variety from Saxony; spherical fruits with a lemon-yellow color and a slight blush; ripe from December to March; mildly sour, juicy flesh; good yield; low location requirements.
Gloria Mundi: Discovered in North America in 1800; large, irregular yellow apples; ready to eat from December to March (winter apple); large, sweet flesh.
Goldparmäne (synonyms: Wintergoldparmäne, Queen of Reinettes): One of the oldest and best-known apple varieties; discovered in Normandy around 1510; small fruits with golden skin and red stripes; ripe from the beginning of September (winter apple); sweet aroma with nutty spice; resistant to scab and mildew. Here you can buy the gold parmes.
Graham's Jubilee Apple: Old English variety (1888); large, tall, pale yellow fruits; ready to eat from September to January (autumn apple); ready to eat from September to January; delicately sour, predominantly sweet aroma; very resistant, good wood frost hardness.
Green Stettinger: Old German apple variety, discovered around 1598; medium-sized, spherical fruits with a yellowish-green color; ready to eat from October to April; crunchy flesh with pleasant acidity.
Jakob Lebel (synonyms: Eisenbahner, Gelber Mecklenburger, Jacques Lebel): Historic apple variety, accidentally discovered in Normandy in 1825; large, spherical yellow fruits with pale red marbling; ripe from October to December (autumn/winter apple); soft, juicy, sour flesh; Pollinator Varieties: Discovery, Cox Orange, Goldparmane, Ingrid Marie, Ontario. Here you can buy the Jakob Lebel apple.
Canadarenettes: Described in France as early as 1771; very large, flat fruits with a greenish-yellow skin; ready to pick in October, ready to eat from December to May; spicy, sweet and sour aroma; table, baked and cider apples; high and regular returns.
McIntosh: Discovered in Canada in the 18th century; namesake for the famous Apple computers; medium-sized, dark red fruits; ripe from the end of September; sweet and juicy pulp; prefers a mild, dry climate; resistant to fire blight. If you want to grow this variety, you can buy the McIntosh apple here.
Red Delicious: Discovered in the USA around 1870; green fruit with dark red stripes; ready for harvest from mid-September; very sweet, juicy flesh. Here you can buy the Red Delicious apple tree.
Rheinischer Winterrambur (synonyms: Swedish Red Chancellor, Jägerapfel, Haslinger, Schönster vom Neckartal): Old German apple variety; very large fruits with light green skin and red cheeks; ready to pick in October, ready to eat from December to April; slightly crumbly flesh with a predominant acidity and spicy aroma; very productive; is suitable for intensive tall tree cultivation.
Ribston Pepping (synonyms: Kaiserrenette, Glory of York, Goldrabau): Old English apple variety (before 1800); medium-sized, broadly spherical fruits, brown to carmine red; ready to pick in September, ready to eat until April; juicy, sweet and spicy pulp with nutmeg aroma.
Red Eiserapfel: Very old storage variety, discovered in Bamberg in 1539; large, heart-shaped fruits in red; ready to pick in October, ready to eat from December to June; medium-firm, decidedly sweet flesh; easy to store. Here you can buy the Red Ice Apple.
Red Gravensteiner: Very old and popular variety from Denmark (1669); medium-sized, flat fruits with a strong red striped skin; ripe from mid-August; intensive, sweet and sour aroma. Here you can buy the Roter Gravensteiner variety.
Roter Herbstkalvill (synonyms: red paradise apple, blood apple, bride apple, flambaux): Comes from Stuttgart, known for over 250 years; medium-sized, angular, deep red fruits; Ready for picking from the end of September, ripe for consumption from October to November; juicy, fluffy, red flesh with a raspberry/strawberry-like aroma.
Red Star Reinette (synonyms: Calville Etoilée, Pomme de Coeur, Heart Apple Starrennette, Christmas Apple): Old apple variety, described in Maastricht before 1790; small, flat-round fruits with shiny red skin; ready to pick from mid-October, ready to eat from November to March; sweet and sour flesh with aromatic spice; very robust.
Roter Trierer Weinapfel (synonyms: Trankapfel, Weinapfel, Roter Holzapfel): Very old German cider apple variety; small, globular fruits with red stripes; ready to pick from November, ready to eat until April; very juicy flesh with a sweet and sour aroma.
Welschisner: Very old Upper Austrian apple variety; large fruits with green skin and red cheeks; Harvest from October, ripe for consumption from January; is suitable as a dried apple; undemanding andvigorous.
You can find a detailed overview of the 50 best apple varieties here.