Cox's Orange Pippin runs medium to medium-large and is round, oblate, and ribbed. The blush is indeed an orange-red, sometimes uneven, over yellow green and with considerable russetting. Brown lenticels freckle the whole surface, which is matte, not glossy. Cox's sits firm in the hand and smells slightly mossy or grassy.The flesh is creamy light yellow and more fine-grained than that of its reputed parent, the Ribston Pippin. It's got a tender, but substantial, crunch and carries a moderate bit of flavorful juice. And, those flavors!
This is a wonderfully well-balanced apple with a complex bouquet of tastes: cider, a hint of cinnamon and hazelnut, and strong orange and mango notes. The even sweet-tart balance is the perfect backdrop against which these flavors gracefully unfold.
Compared to the powerful and unruly Ribston, Cox's is more refined and disciplined but no less flavorful. The general effect is marvelously complex, rich, and satisfying on more than one level.
Small wonder that to many connoisseurs Cox's is the best desert apple. Yorkshire-based Orange Pippin, its very name a tribute to this variety, praises Cox's and concludes
Flavour is a very personal thing but Cox's Orange Pippin is "essential reading" for anyone interested in apples. In terms of flavour it is unquestionably the benchmark against which all others are measured, as well as being (along with Golden Delicious) one of the most influential apple varieties for apple breeders.
Orange Pippin makes other notes and comments about Cox's, and lists 24 daughter varieties--an indication that the fruit's qualities are prized by breeders as well. (Vintage Virgina lists a few more offspring too.)
Across the years, Robert Hogg (The Fruit Manual, London 1884) tells us that Cox's originated in 1830 in Colnbrook, near Slough in England; today this is just west of Heathrow Airport.
Cox's remains popular in the United Kingdom despite difficulties in cultivation; in America this variety is not widely available (but worth the hunt). My samples this year grew in New Hampshire, but Shelburne Farm in Stow is one Eastern Massachusetts orchard that has them for picking (in season).
The seeds of a ripe Cox's Orange are said to rattle in their cavities when the apple is shaken, but I could not create this effect.
Great research info. I enjoyed reading about cox himself in that link. We Might need to go to England to try his cox pomona,if not its already unreachable but we can always try.
ReplyDeleteGot 35 of these cox orange going in the ground, can't wait to finally grow it.
Thirty-five Cox trees! That's really great. And a lot of apples, if you have a good crop--which I hope you do.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any special plans to sell these, to chefs or connoisseurs? Is there a chance any of these will make their way as far south as Boston?
Yes, I will eventually accept orders from from SMALL retailers,chefs, connisours, or anyone who loves organic apples. We will eventually have a small store that is suitable to accommodate retail customers on our farm.
ReplyDeleteWe love our out of state friends, so.
For those that live outside of Maine, bulk orders and buyers club orders will be able to be placed with crown of Maine organic cooperative beginning in 2012 season, who deliver local Maine produce to the Boston area every week. Will keep you updated when I finish making my blog, and I will as things progress in the coming seasons!
We will also be selling exceedingly rare varieties exclusively at the common ground fair, in unity Maine, in the end of September which falls on the 23,24,25th this year. Unfortunately our harvests won't sustain the huge demand yet, so we won't be attending until next year when apples will be booming!
Adam, you wouldn't believe it but I inadvertently stumbled unto an actual picture of Cox Pomona without even trying. Take a look. That Flickr has a lot of good pics. Just go back and forth its alphabetical
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ReplyDeleteHawk Farm also provided this link to a photo of Cox Pomona.
ReplyDeleteCox P is another daughter of the Ribston Pippin. Thanks for the photo!
Adam,
ReplyDeleteWhich of your orchards had a good supply of cox? I am going to check in with people in my area, but the hail a few weeks back severely reduced the Apple crop in Maine and new Hampshire. I'm going to call hutchins farm too and see how their crop has faired.My trees won't produce till next year, and of my two ancient trees, only the cider tree has a good crop because it is overbearing. The other is a cox/ribstone seedling planted in my town in the late 1800s. It's called Starkey, ill email you the write up.
Hawk, I don't know that anyone here has a good supply of Cox's, but Shelburne Farm (in Stow) has two trees.
ReplyDeleteI hope these will be open to picking will be this fall; they were not last year.
Starkey sounds great, is it hard to grow?
No, it is a manageable tree even on standard, and a reliable producer. It is a seedling of ribstone, so it is essentially a native Maine version of cox. Here. Is a list of some of the native Maine varieties http://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/apples/byphoto.htm
ReplyDeleteStarkey is at the bottom. It is strikingly similar to cox, a bit more rosey of a red. It has the complexity of cox, and is my favorite. I planted a substantial amount.
Im going to have to go hunting around Maine and mass to get a good supply of varieties for the winter. I'll send you and email so we don't flood your reports with talk.
ReplyDeleteHi Adam,
ReplyDeleteA local heirloom apple grower here in Southern Wisconsin brought a load of Cox's to our farmer's market this weekend. I bought a few and my wife and I tried one this weekend. The bite and chewy texture was great! The flavor was intense and I was not able to discern any one flavor. Maybe letting them sit in cold storage for a month or two would help them mellow out (reduce the acidity).
We also had a Pink Pearl. The skin was milky light and the flesh bright pink. This apple had a great sugar/acid balance. I liked Pink Pearl better than the Cox. I suppose growing a maritime-loving apple in Wisconsin could change the flavor of the Cox; or it could be that there is so much going on I could not discern any flavors. I had the same results from eating an unkown russet earlier this year. It was so intense in flavor/acid that nothing came through. I think maybe Cox's might be better eaten in Winter for me as I like less acidity.
So I am now eating the Cox's after about 5 weeks or so off the tree. What a difference. The flesh is not quite mealy but more the English "chewy" texture. The sharpness is gone and is replaced with a sweeter tropical taste - I personally get alot of bannana flavor. The flesh is somewhat dry but enough juice to keep my tasting happy. Overall a pretty tasty apple. Although I must say the Pinova (cox-duchess-yellow del. cross) gave me the same fruity tropical flavos with a bit more cruch, juice and sweetness. For me, the Cox needs to mellow a month or so off the tree before eating.
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