Old Varieties

Celebrating and remembering old fruit and vegetable varieties

You are here: Home / Archives for apples

apples

WW2 Apples from Rimini

A small orchard of apple trees is a poignant reminder of the lives torn apart by war and a new life forged in a foreign land.

Apple orchard at the Ukrainian Chapel, Dumfries
70 year old trees, miles from home

During World War II, hundreds of Ukrainian men were forced to join the German Army.  As POW’s, some of them were brought to Scotland from Rimini in Italy.

One of the POW’s, Mr Fallat, brought with him three matchboxes full of seeds.

He said;

“Where this orchard is, will be home”

The apple trees are being carefully tended by the custodians of the Hallmuir Ukrainian Chapel and are still cropping prolifically today.

The Ukrainian Chapel at Hallmuir, just outside Lockerbie, is a carefully preserved remnant of a 40 strong hut complex, designed to house over 400 Ukrainian POW’s, who would never see their home or families again.

Ukrainian_chapel
Ukrainian_chapel

Italian apples

Italy is Europe’s largest producer of apples fruit, and is the third largest in the world after China and the United States.

The European Commission for apples has in fact awarded Italy with three Designations of Protected Origin.

More Information

Heritageandhistory.com – Ukrainian Chapel, Lockerbie

Italtrade.com – The Made in Italy official portal – Italian apples galore.

DPcamps.org – Rimini Displaced Persons Camp

Apple – Duke of Devonshire

The Duke of Devonshire apple was raised in 1835 by Wilson, gardener to the Duke of Devonshire at Holker Hall, Cumbria.

Duke of Devonshire apple
Duke of Devonshire apple

Introduced around 1875, the fruits have a firm, fine texture with rather dry flesh and a slightly nutty flavour.

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

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

Young trees are available from Adam’s Apples, in Devon.

Apple – Blenheim Orange

The triploid apple, Blenheim Orange was discvoered by Mr Kempster at Woodstock near Blenheim, England around 1740.

Blenheim Orange
Blenheim Orange

Distribution of the apple did not start until 1818 and it received the Banksian Medal in 1822.

Fruits have a creamy white, somewhat course texture with rather dry flesh.  It has a rich sweet, nutty, aromatic flavour.

Said to be good with cheese and for making Apple Charlotte.



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

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

Young trees are available from Adam’s Apples, in Devon.

Apple – Norfolk Beefing

The Norfolk Beefing or Norfolk Biffin apple was raised in Norfolk, England and first recorded in 1807.

Norfolk Beefing (Biffin) apple
Norfolk Beefing (Biffin) apple

Fruits are very firm, round and slightly flat, about 5cms across and about 4 cms  high with a course, juicy texture. The skin is yellow-green, but with brown-purple and dark red streaks.

Inside, the crisp flesh has a green tint, acidic with a hint of cinnamon.

The apples store well, getting sweeter with keeping, and are even sweet enough to use as desert apples by March the following year. A good cooking and drying apple.

With keeping, they turn a deeper brown or maroon colour, with harder, more solid flesh.

These apples were popular with Norwich bakers and were sent to London fruiterers as a delicacy. They were also used for cider making

It is best cooked whole in a very slow (bread) oven for over 4 – 5 hours.

Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Mid May
Picking: Mid October
Natural Storage: December – April

Where to find the Norfolk Beefing apple: Acorn Bank, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.