Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Braeburn. One of the first of the Southern Hemisphere apples to become popular,
the Braeburn was introduced in the early 1950s. Its roots are uncertain; it sprouted up as
a chance seedling, probably as a result of cross-pollination between Lady Hamilton and
Granny Smith. It's a spicy apple with a nice tart bite and a juicy, crisp texture. It holds its
shape in cooking. Braeburns store fairly well and can be good into early summer.
• Jonagold. A New York apple, Jonagold is the offspring of Golden Delicious and
Jonathan and was introduced in the late 1960s. It is a tangy apple that can be slightly
soft out of hand and cooks to a creamy texture. It's not for storing; buy Jonagolds before
spring.
• Empire. This New York-bred apple was introduced in the mid-1960s and has stayed
close to home. It is grown almost entirely on the East Coast, and New York State accounts
for more than half the harvest. Empire is a cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious.
It is a heavy bearer that grows on healthy trees - the kind of cash crop farmers like. The
flavor is good, and the apple holds its shape in cooking. It stores moderately well, but buy
before the end of spring.
• Pink Lady. Developed in western Australia in the 1970s under the name Cripps Pink,
it was dubbed Pink Lady when introduced in the United States in the mid-1980s. Pink
Lady is true to name, the skin has a delicate pinkish cast. At its best, this is a superlative
apple, crisp and honeyed, with an almost champagne tartness underneath. But its quality
is variable - it needs a cold snap to develop full flavor and color. Pink Lady is one of the
last apples harvested, usually picked starting in late September. It stores moderately well
and can be good until late spring.
• Cameo. An apple with a lot of promise, Cameo was introduced in 1987. It was dis-
covered as a chance mutation in a Red Delicious orchard in Washington State. It is a
bright red-striped apple with characteristic white spots. Cameo has good flavor - sweet
and mildly tart - but it is most notable for its crispness and staying power. Cameo will hold
its crispness under storage for an extended period, even into midsummer. Because of its
dense flesh, Cameo takes longer to cook than most apples.
• Honeycrisp. Another hot new apple that is popular with growers, although it hasn't
yet begun to show up in supermarkets in any significant numbers. Red with a golden back-
ground, it is crisp and sweet and holds its shape in cooking. Honeycrisp was developed at
the University of Minnesota and was introduced in 1991. Its harvest is still centered in the
northern Midwest. Like Cameo, it is touted partly for its remarkable storage characterist-
ics - its developers claim that it can last up to six months in cold storage, with no special
