Old Varieties — Page 11 — Celebrating and remembering old fruit and vegetable varieties

Oct 01 2009

Apple – Edward VII

The first record of the Edward VII apple was in 1902. Introduced by Rowe of Worcester in 1908.

The apple received the RHS Award of Merit in 1903.

Fruits have a firm, rather coarse texture, fairly juicy, with an acid flavour.

Reported to be an excellent cooking apple.

Uses: Culinary
Parents: Female -Blenheim Orange? x Male – Golden Noble?
Flowers: Mid to late May
Picking: Mid October
Natural Storage: December to April

The Edward VII apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.

Sep 29 2009

Apple – Ellison’s Orange

The Ellison’s Orange apple was raised by the Reverend. C.C. Ellison at Bracebridge and Mr. Wipf, gardener at Hartsholme Hall in Lincolnshire, England.

First records of the Ellison’s Orange date back to 1904, being introduced by Pennells Nurseries, Lincolnshire in 1911.

The RHS gave it an Award of Merit in 1911 and a First Class Certificate in 1917.

Fruits have soft juicy flesh with a striped red skin. It is noted to have a rich, strong aniseed flavour when ripe.

Uses: Desert
Parents: Female – Cox’s Orange Pippin x Male – Calville Blanc
Flowers: Mid to late May
Picking: Mid September
Natural Storage: September to October

The Ellison’s orange apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees available from Adams Apples

Sep 29 2009

Apple – Lancashire Pippin

The Lancashire Pippin was received by the national fruit trials in 1950, from Westmorland in Northern England.

Fruits have soft, slightly course flesh with a subacid flavour. Reportedly, this flavour becomes very bland when cooked.

Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Mid to late May
Picking: Mid September
Natural Storage: October

The Lancashire Pippin apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.

Sep 29 2009

The Ribston Pippin was raised at Ribston Hall in Yorkshire, England, from seed brought from Rouen in France. It is thought to have been planted around 1707, receiving it’s first RHS Award of Merit in 1962.

Fruits have a red/yellow flush and the flesh a fine, firm, crisp texture which is juicy with a rich, sweet aromatic flavour.

Uses: Desert
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Early to Mid May
Picking: Late September
Natural Storage: October – January

The Ribston Pippin apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees available from Adams Apples

Sep 27 2009

Common Medlar

The medlar is an ancient fruit native to Iran and there are records of it’s cultivation since the 2nd Century BC, being grown by ancient Greeks and Romans.

Medlars were very popular during the Victorian era. The large shrubs or small trees growing up to 8 m tall is deciduous. The dark green, elliptical leaves are about six to fifteen centimetres long and three to four centimetres wide. They turn a spectacular red in autumn before falling.

The five-petalled white flowers are produced in late spring, they are hermaphrodite and pollinated by bees.

The matte brown fruit is a pome, two to three centimetres in diameter, with wide-spreading persistent sepals giving a “hollow” appearance. It’s popular slang name is “Dog’s Bottom”.

Medlar fruit are very hard and acidic, only becoming edible after being bletted (softened by frost), or naturally in storage given sufficient time.

Once softening begins, the skin rapidly takes a wrinkled texture and turns dark brown, and the inside reduces to a consistency and flavour reminiscent of apple sauce. They can then be eaten raw, often consumed with cheese as a dessert, although they are also used to make medlar jelly and wine. Another dish is “medlar cheese”, which is similar to lemon curd, being made with the fruit pulp, eggs, and butter.

Acorn Bank at Temple Sowerby in Cumbria is home to two very large Medlar trees.

Medlar recipes on the Garden Organic website.
Medlar Cheese recipe.
Growing and Pruning Medlars – Advice from the Royal Horticultural Society