Thursday, September 11, 2008

Mutsu (Crispin, Mitsu) *

I bought one of these big guys at Volante Farms yesterday. Volante says this about Mutsu:

This Japanese apple is a descendant of the Golden Delicious. It is large, spicy, crisp & juicy. Excellent all-purpose apple.

Various sources say this is the Crispin apple by another name.

Mutsu is bigger and greener than Golden Delicious, whatever its relation.

This is a large fruit, almost cylindrical, with definite ribs and a light green-yellow skin.

The color varies from green-yellow to yellow-green and has darker green spots perhaps a tenth of an inch across, some with tiny white centers and some with tiny brown ones.

The flesh is firm, creamy light-yellow-green, juicy, and crunchy. The flavor is mild and light, with a sweet-tart mix that is balanced but not very vivid. 

There are faint notes of ginger and spice, and perhaps vanilla. There is a some pleasing astringency after the finish.

Mutsu is a fun apple to eat because of its heft, juice, and crunch. The flavor is not simple, but some might find it a little washed out.

Where some apples taste like cider, Mutsu's refreshing lightness is more like a cool glass of water with an apple tang.

16 comments:

  1. this is the only apple I can eat without an allergic reaction. Please tell me where I can buy them. I live In Rhode Island

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    1. There are some at Young Farm in Little Compton :-)

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  2. Hi! I know these are grown in Rhode Island--I've seen them for sale--but I can't remember where. The State of Rhode Island has a listing of orchards that might be helpful.

    Unlike some varieties, Mutsu (or Mitsu, or Crispin) is not usually available year round, but I saw some for sale this week at a Whole Foods market here in Massachusetts. (They were much yellower than the one I tasted back in September, pictured above.) You might try there.

    I hope you can find some!

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  3. Mutsu apples are available in Connecticut at Lyman Orchards, almost year long, and at Holmberg Orchards. Both also do pick your own, and I find that the Mutsu lasts for a long time if stored properly, and that they oxidize far slower than other apples once cut.

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  4. I live in Washington state and have a Mitsu Apple tree and it is my favorite. We pick them in October and store them in a blanket cover wagon in the garage. They last till March when I make my last apple pie. They are the best..

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    1. Do you only have only one apple tree because I want to know if you need more for pollination?

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    2. @Tyler: Most apple cultivars are not self-fertile and thus require pollen from another variety.

      A partial list of self-fertile apples from the Home Orchard Society does not include Mutsu.

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  5. Anonymous said...
    this is the only apple I can eat without an allergic reaction. Please tell me where I can buy them. I live In Rhode Island
    January 15, 2009 10:31 AM

    Me too! I live in Ontario Canada and we can get them locally in apple season (october-december). But that's about it!

    They are amazing.

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    1. I know this is almost a year old, maybe you'll see it.

      I just tried this apple recently and love it. It fits perfectly with my tastes. Anyway, I live in Ontario and found that Walmart has them, and if you're near a Fortinos they carry them too. I've found Walmart's to be on the smaller side, while Fortinos have nice really big apples. They're under the Crispin name for both stores.

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    2. @Anonymous Ontario No. 2: Thank you for your reply to Anonymous Ontario #1!

      I do not know if he or she will read your comment either, but people find this page in season all the time using google or other web search.

      So information posted here is, in principle, always helpful.

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  6. We grow them. They are very popular.
    Marquam Meadows Fruit Company

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  7. Esther, thank you. It's nice to hear from growers, and from folks outside of New England. Best wishes for a good harvest!

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  8. I bought some of these yesterday at Berlin Orchard in Berlin, MA. I have not tried one yet. I don't think I have ever seen an apple this large!

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    1. They are big! On top of that, I am seeing many apples coming in extra large this season.

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  9. Oddly enough Mutsu is ripening here in Southern California right now in the middle of July heat. The flesh is crisp, sweet, and very juicy, while the skin is annoyingly tough. They are indeed huge and a deep green that reminds me of Granny Smith. I've heard it is resistant to powdery mildew, which lends it to trying in the tropics where that is the main foliar disease along with scab.

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    1. Hi Kevin! Nothing really surprised me where your nursery is concerned. Also really would not mind some of these right now!

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