How does the Corbinian apple taste? When is the apple ready to harvest? And what is the story behind the variety? In this article you will find all information about the apple variety 'Korbiniansapfel'.
The apple variety 'Korbiniansapfel' (Malus domestica 'Korbiniansapfel') is not an everyday variety and does not come from an idyllic breeding garden or from a horticultural research institute. We tell you about the special history, the robust properties and the excellent taste of the Corbinian apple.
Corbinian Apple: Profile
| Synonyms | 'ID 3' |
| Fruit | medium; golden yellow basic color with red stripes |
| Flavour | juicy, aromatic, sweet and sour, light vanilla aroma |
| Yield | regular; mid-early |
| Harvest time | from the end of October |
| Maturity for pleasure | from December |
| Shelf Life | very good; Can be stored until April/May |
| Growth | strong |
| Climate | low claim; Can be grown up to medium altitudes |
| Diseases and Pests | resistant to diseases and pests |
Origin and History
The Corbinian apple had another name until 1985: KZ-3. The reason for this is the eventful breeding history of the apple, which was grown in the Dachau concentration camp by the Bavarian pastor and pomologist (apple researcher) Korbinian Aigner.
Korbinian Aigner, also known as Apple Pastor , was enthusiastic not only for his priestly duties, but also for agriculture - especially apple growing - and political issues. After hearing a speech by the up-and-coming Adolf Hitler, he began to speak out actively against the ideas of National Socialism in his sermons and religious classes in his Hohenbercha congregation. He was betrayed and taken to the Dachau concentration camp. There he became especiallyused in agricultural activities and even under the most adverse conditions managed to grow 4 promising apple varieties through seedling selection: he named them KZ-1, KZ-2, KZ-3 and KZ-4. Only KZ-3 has survived to this day and was renamed the Corbinian apple in honor of Korbinian Aigner in 1985. Incidentally, the apple pastor survived the concentration camp, returned to his home in Hohenbercha and was a member and later state chairman of the Bavarian state association for fruit and horticulture for many years.
Corbinian apple variety: taste and properties
The Corbinian apple is a medium-sized, rounded apple with 5 distinct ribs, i.e. bulges for each carpel. The skin of the fruit is smooth and the basic color is green-yellow on the shaded side, later yellow and finally golden-yellow with strong red stripes. With good lighting, the whole fruit can also be red. The skin produces lots of vegetable fatty acids and wax (cuticle), so the apple has a greasy shine.
The flesh is fine-celled, firm and juicy. The taste of the Corbinian apple is aromatic and equal parts sweet and sour when the growing conditions are right. When fully ripe, a light vanilla aroma should be tasted.
Special features of cultivation & care
The Corbinian Apple is generally considered to be robust and resilient. It usually successfully fends off diseases and pests. It prefers clay soils as, like all apple trees, it rewards good water supply and nutrient availability with good he alth and quality fruit. Because the Corbinian apple grows vigorously and for this reason does not stay small, it is particularly well suited for orchards and cultivation on the open field edge. It quickly forms a broad, spherical crown with strong skeletal branches and many ramifications. With a slow-growing base, however, it can also find a place in a spacious house garden if it is given enough space there.
Corbinian Apple: Harvest & Use
Depending on the weather and cultivation location, the harvest of the ripe apples can begin in late October or in November. The fruits, which are not harvested quite ripe, can be stored for a very long time in good conditions because of their natural protective layer of cutin and wax: in cool natural storage until March, in a cold, dark, sufficiently damp and ventilated earth cellar or storage even until May. If the humidity in theStorage is high enough, the fruit hardly wilt.
The Corbinian apple is very suitable as table fruit for snacking, in muesli or for cooking.
Like all apple trees, the Corbinian apple depends on insects as pollinators. Without the help of bees and bumblebees, you would not be able to harvest fruit from this special tree. In return, would you like to return the favor to the hard-working helpers by offering them a livelihood even after the apple blossom? Then find out how to build a nesting aid for wild bees or how a bee pasture supports the feeding and reproduction of these and other insects.