What an apple, what suavity of aroma. Its initial Madeira-like mellowness of flavour overlies a deeper honeyed nuttiness, crisply sweet not sugar sweet, but the succulence of a well devilled marrow bone. Surely no apple of greater distinction or more perfect balance can ever have been raised anywhere on earth.
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This lovely russet with the charming name has a rosy orange blush beneath its suede overcoat. Unblushed skin is green.
It is a small medium and has large lenticels that are all rusetted over. The fruit's calyx is open but very shallow, and it has a pleasant faint smell of tea.
I got two of these in early December, past their prime. I've tasted Ashmead's
Kernel once before, and though I did not record my impressions I remember
strong lemon and sugar notes and crisp firmness.
The example shown in my photo is the only one I have seen with any sort of a blush. It's attractive, but possibly overripe.
The flesh is a firm tender coarse yellow, tart and quite sweet with nice citric acidity.
I find when a stored apple has lost some crispness or flavor that the area around the equator of the fruit goes first. Tasting around the poles of this sample still yields some lemon-drop flavors, also faint hints of pear and nutmeg.
Try Ashmead's Kernel for yourself if ever you get the chance.
In the best of all possible worlds I would taste every fruit at peak. In this
world I found these in a supermarket that had a box of heirlooms from an
orchard in New York. (Credit where due: this was
not just any supermarket.) And
I am glad to get them, along with two
Esopus Spitzenbergs
that I will taste soon.
According to Staub, Ashmead's originated in Gloucestershire 300 years ago but was not introduced in the U.S. until the 1950s.
I have one of the trees - in Gloucestershire. You are right - the fruit is wonderful. The tree was slow to fruit (hardly any until 7 years old) and is quite erratic.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! I have read that these can be difficult to grow. They certainly are not easy to find around here.
ReplyDeleteI planted an Ashmead's spring of '07, am impatiently waiting for the first four apples to ripen in probably another month here in Spokane. In reading up on this cultivar, am intrigued to find folks growing it and singing its praises from Edmonton, BC to Riverside, CA, west coast to east. Seems to be a tough customer when it comes to growing conditions.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I have never tasted it - yet.
A long shot since this comment is so old, but are you still in the Spokane area? I live in CDA and grow about 25 different varieties of apples, and would love to know more people here who have heirlooms. Cheers, Lars Benson
DeleteUnfortunately anonymous commenters can't be notified when someone replies to them.
DeleteIf that's not working you can see this.
*But maybe @Spokane will check back here at some point.
Ashmead's are 'shy bearing,' but it's like the tree concentrates sugar and flavor in the few fruit that are produced.
ReplyDeleteNot too long ago, a pretty comprehensive study of apple and pear genes was conducted in the UK by DEFRA. One of the remarkable things that they learned was that there are many "erratic bearers" that were thought to be diploids that are actually triploids (sterile pollen). This means they need to be planted in close proximity (and at a similar bloom time) to a couple of diploids to be able to produce a decent crop. Turns out Ashmead's Kernel is one of these triploids, as is Roxbury Russet.
ReplyDeleteTo see the full list of triploids they uncovered, just do a Google search for DEFRA and for "Fingerprinting the National Apple & Pear Collections."
@Litawyn, I wonder if the application of this information will reduce Ashmead's reputation as a shy or erratic bearer.
DeleteHi there Adam, I live in Somerville and bike through Arlington every day on my way to work in Bedford. We do live in a great place to get uncommon apples. I've eaten quite a few Ashmead's, but every time they have been picked by my friend Ben Polito at Poverty Lane orchard in New Hampshire. It really is a fantastic apple, though I admit I am partial to the russets. I can't recall ever seeing it at the farmer's market or the supermarket.
ReplyDeleteHolly, a nice commute. Are you hard-core all-weathers or a fair-weather cyclists like me?
DeleteI will know I am dreaming the day I see Ashmead at Stop & Shop, but Kimball Farm was selling them at farmers markets in September. Picked a bit early alas.
I'm in the hard core all year bike commuter camp. Sometimes I take the 62 bus from Alewife (often with my bike on the front), and sometimes I have the car, but mostly I ride. I've got carbide spiked tires, headlights, goggles, and a whole layer system of clothes for any condition. Worst is rutted ice on the path, which happens not infrequently!
DeleteI'm hoping to teach myself to do framework grafting this spring by practicing on the various crab apples that grow along the minuteman path in a few places in Arlington. Inspired by the Guerilla Grafters group in San Francisco.
Ashmead's Kernel is wonderful. In my sunny climate red showing through the russet was typical. Great taste; too bad I had not learned about its triploid status, nor its tardy bearing until years after giving it away! Ah well, now D'Arcy Spice and Hunt Russet are started in my yard. Maybe they will better meet expectations.
ReplyDeleteHunt Russet! Herr Bumpus, you are full of surprises.
DeleteHunt Russet began life out back in '14, and I am trying a few more russets besides D'Arcy (which is blooming first time as I write this!): Golden Harvey, Claygate Pearmain and Medaille d'Or. I hope both Hunt and Golden Harvey will prove to be the mainstay russets, with little fuss and maximum delight.
DeleteHave you seen the D'Arcy Spice depicted on the cover of Rowan Jacobsen's excellent "Apples Of Uncommon Character"? Nice color; good read.
BTW, I chose Nutting Bumpus as a moniker to raise awareness of a Maine apple derived from Duchess of Oldenburg.
@Nutting: I should have guessed an apple! I was wondering if your nom de pomme was somehow taken off from Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans.
DeleteNever have encountered Nutting Bumpus in this area. In fact, since Washington state was settled so late in our nation's history, almost any older apple is hard to find.
DeleteSince last writing I have run into copy regarding Brownlees Russet. It has many of the strengths of Ashmead's - like flavor - without the drawbacks: self fertile midseason (pink!) bloom, precocious, heavy crops and slightly smaller tree. I hope to graft it next season and see how it does on the dry side of Washington. Have you tasted a Brownlees yet?
Golden Harvey produce well enough in Stanthorpe, Queensland (Australia), but they are knobbly and not very attractive. They are absolutely superb in the taste department, starting as brisk, aromatic and complex. After being stored in my fridge for a few months they end up a little wrinkled and with some give, but not mealy, and become slightly less complex in flavour but much sweeter, like pear drops.
DeleteLast week I picked up an Ashmead's Kernel at the farmer's market in Boston by South Station; I believe it was from Kimball Fruit Farm. Fabulous. I was really excited to try it because I'm growing one and had heard they're wonderful but had no idea what to expect. Excellent dessert apple. Crisp, sweet, tart, spicy, a complicated, intense taste that was very appley without invoking any other associations other than apple. You could tell it would be a great general purpose apple, good for cooking and cider as well as eating out of hand.
ReplyDeleteThey are really exrtaordinary when you get a good one. A marvel to find at farmers market next to the Cortlands and the Galas.
DeleteIs this one of the ones you are growing?
Kimball's has had these for the past few years. I think this is their first really big harvest, and to make things even better they seem to finally be resisting the urge to pick too soon (a weakness of theirs).
I just ate one right now typing this, inspired by your note. Cheers!
Just bought a bag at our Farmers Market, so good. Here's a link to the organic grower we buy from: https://www.elafamilyfarms.com/farmers-marketscsasevents/fruit-calendar
ReplyDeleteWhat an impressive catalog of apples! Not huge, but deep.
DeleteReally good consumer response to this apple .We had been picking 20 to 30 bushel of Ashmeads a year and were selling out fast so we have planted alot more . This year we picked 120 bushel and are almost gone in 3 weeks selling retail . Steve Woods is a friend of mine and I drank some pure Ashmeads wine he had a stash of and it was soooo good !!
ReplyDeleteThere is something especially wonderful about finding a legendary apple like this at farmers market!
DeleteProps to Kimball for growing this an many other heritage varieties.
I planted an Ashmead’s kernel and a Celestia over 15 years ago. Both trees have grown beautifully and produce volumes of blooms every year. Apples enlarge to about the size of ping pongs, then “disappear”, or drop off. I do get Cedar Apple Rust on both trees; could this be the cause? Someone also insisted squirrels eat them, hence the “disappear” comment! I don’t want to spray pesticides but will consider a fungicide.
ReplyDeleteHello, Stephanie! What a nice selection of varieties. I think if I were ever to grow apples I might choose these.
DeleteAlas, I do not grow apples and thus am not qualified to answer your questions about rust etc. Maybe someone with more knowledge will happen by.
I do know enough to know, however, that apples do not just disappear into nothing, so I think someone is eating or stealing your fruit.
As for those drops, is it possible they are ripe? You can control fruit size by thinning in the spring.
Thanks for quick response, Adam! I live in private drive going into the hills and trees are over 15’ tall so thief would need ladders. We have deer that can reach but so high, though they probable eat the drops. The fruit only gets an inch, or inch and half in diameter, and does become disfigured from disease or bugs. But I can put up with cosmetics; just can’t guess why I lose every single apple from 2 large trees early in summer! I get several dozens of blooms that set fruit. I hope somebody reads this with more suggestions!
DeleteIt's the squirrels! I've had every apple, peach and plum disappear before they're half size ... it's the squirrels!!
DeleteYes, squirrels seem likely culprits. We've also had considerable loss to birds of all sizes - even discovered a raven that had taken to raiding our trees. Most bird damage, though, was just that - damage - a dozen pecks out of each mature apple.
DeleteI'm eating my first ever Ashmead's Kernel as I type.
ReplyDeleteWow. I love it! Iart, sweet, crisp. I haven't tried a lot of apples yet - mostly the usual suspects.
This is the one to beat!
Rachel, you have started your exploration with one of the very best!
DeleteTry comparing it to some of the other russets—also good, but I have yet to find one that rivals Ashmead's for complexity.
Thanks, Adam! I'd like to get my hands on a Hudson's Golden Gem.
DeleteNatural Grocers in San Antonio has been bringing in some of these heritage and/or non massed produced varieties. Also got to try Ribston Pippin, Pink Pearl,and Liberty, so far.
And I'm planting a bunch of fruit trees of all kinds - including a diagonal cordon "fence" of 12 apple trees(from Century Orchards).
Williams Pride,Aunt Rachel,Hunge,King David,
Liberty, Dixie Red Delight,Goldrush, Terry Winter, Red Rebel,Reverend Morgan, and Wickson Crab (need one more)
I hadn't tasted any of these before I placed my order! Based the choices on: extending the season, apples I think might grow here(thanks Kuffel Creek)and apples whose flavor I thought I might like.
Gotta go figure out how to correctly build this trellis! The trees are coming next month.
Thank you, Adam, for your plethora of detailed apple review,
Finally a grafted branch of the Ashmead' Kernel produced a fruit. Unsure, maybe it takes a wait. It was too hard and not quite ready. It would be good to know when this variety is ready to eat. Next year will have to wait until November(?) to give it a try.
ReplyDelete@Greg, it depends on where you are. Where I live I would say early to mid October.
DeleteBut I am not a grower and that is just my best guess.
Here, fairly near its Glos. 'home', it crops heavily and regularly. So do Queen Cox and Rubinette. So we're oversupplied with superb apples. Admittedly, it's an apple-growing area (Breinton Fruit Farm, Hereford sells all three of these varieties.).
DeleteWhat is a good pollenizer for Amsead Kernel or Cox Orange Pipen
ReplyDeleteI got a box from a friend at a farmers market who had some, read that they were keepers but also susceptible to bitter pit. So I wrapped them separately and then ate them slowly. I got them in late September and ate the last in Jan/Feb. While the ones I ate in Nov/Dec were good, the incredible pearapple taste really didn’t appear until January. That was when they became incredible eating apples. I did get more some years later when her tree had a good year again, but many developed bitter pit and none lasted until January :( . I planted a tree two years ago and have a crab (plus my neighbor’s has two apple trees) for pollination. I’m so sad to hear that the horrible squirrels that infest our neighbourhood may get the apples before I can. Anyway, I wanted to remind people that some apples were bred to be stored for a long time before being eaten.
ReplyDeleteWe had a customer at our farmer's market a few years ago who bought a box of Ashmeads every week. it was all he was interested in.
ReplyDeleteDiscriminatin' fellow.
Delete