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Ida fire-engine Red is decorated with light yellow-green lenticels of varying size.
The arresting blush covers the entire fruit, through it grows streaky around the base and my sample has russet in the stem well.
Ida is a large medium fruit, globular with just a little ribbing. Unbroken she is firm in my hand.
Her creamy-white flesh is on the fine side of coarse-grained, crisp though a little tender, and juicy. The balance is pleasantly tart, with sugar lurking underneath.
Vinous and spicy flavors, and an astringent finish, combine to make Ida Red bracing and refreshing. There is also a hint of melon.
Ida Red, a Jonathan-Wagener cross, is a product of the University of Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station, introduced in 1942. Many sources say it is good for pies and applesauce.
This - This is an apple! Idared (one word, as in Idaho + red) is one of those odd apples that taste like a crisp, watery nothing right off the tree, but give it a few weeks in storage, and it becomes wonderously complex (and still crisp!). Better yet, idared is, hands-down, the best pie apple there is. Not only do the flavors intensify, but it holds its shape beautifully! Why this apple doesn't hold a place in more orchards is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteI bought 6 of these apples at a market in Ireland. They were Irish grown from an orchard 30 km away and I believe I got them very fresh. The apple was not consistently coloured - one half was red, the other half was the palest lime with minute red striping. The first apple I tasted reminded me of an inferior Granny smith. I left it a week before trying the second apple and I found the flavours intensified although it still reminds me of a Granny smith. For the home grower it is a great alternative for the Granny Smith. Depending on where you live in the world would determine which is grown and more widely available.
Delete@Eva, thank you for an Irish report. I think these apples must grow differently there vs. here! Which is entirely consistent with how many varieties seem to need a particular climate or conditions.
DeleteMy wife and I tried two different Idared's we bought last week at our local coop in Southern Wisconsin. The first apple we tried had the best flavor. The texture was soft/chewy and had a wonderful smell when cut. The flavor to us was a combination of citrus fruit flavors and coconut. The second one had the same flavors, just a bit muted. The skin on the apples was thin and came off very easy, probably due to the time in cold storage before we bought them. I have never had one straight off the tree but I must say these are great when given time in cold storage. What an exellent apple! We put some in an apple tart to bake - I am looking forward to that!
ReplyDeleteCan anyone share with me experiences with lathe-turning Ida-Red wood? I would like to turn some writing pens and other small utensils. Does it have a nice grain that stands out and is astetically pleasing?
ReplyDeleteOK, Guys (and Gals), finished turning 5 pens, Used the Penn State Industries 24k Gold Comfort Pen. The wood has a nice grain and a nice brownish red color. I did not use any stains, but used a natural shellac type finish which gave it a nice satin sheen. My only concern is the wood I had was still somewhat "green". After I cut my blanks I allowed the wood to cure and then discarded any of the pieces that showed checking or cracking. I am trusting the sealant will contain any further deterioration.
ReplyDeleteDon, I did not respond right away because, well, I don't know much about the wood as a craft or building material.
DeleteNowadays I'd suppose planks and boards of apple wood must be hard to come by, since most trees are grown on dwarfing rootstocks that would not permit really big trees.
So I guess the lathe work you are interested in is the best use for the wood.
Thank you for let us know how it is working out. It's not an aspect of pomoculture had considered before!
I love those apples. I know that it's Ida(ho) Red but break the name in a diferrent way and you get I Dared like in "I dared to cross Jonathan x Wagener, and succeeded :)"
ReplyDelete@Lukasz, Another good apple with a name that is easy to mis-parse: Jonagored. Unfortunate result there.
DeleteI have eaten Idared straight off the tree and after being stored. Excellent apple either way. This is by far my favorite apple.
ReplyDelete