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Today's handsome apple runs to to large: a shapely, conical, and slightly ribbed fruit. Its yellow skin has green highlights. Some sport a small, delicate orange-pink blush, nearly transparent.
There are many small lenticels, most light-green, some dark (perhaps with russet). The calyx is partly open, and there is faint sweet aroma.
Golden Supreme's flesh is crisp, coarse-grained, and light yellow. It bears juice with some of the honey-and-pear qualities of a Golden Delicious, but lighter and less complex.
The flavor is more sweet than otherwise but well balanced, and the firm but juicy flesh is satisfying to chew.
This uncluttered refreshing variety is easy to enjoy and would make a pleasant addition to a tasting assortment.
I almost passed Golden Supreme by, thinking it was "just" a minor sport of Golden Delicious, but according to The Natural Food Hub it was a chance seedling found in Idaho around 1960.
I have grown GS for about twenty years. That doesn't look like the ones I grow, but this can certainly be accounted for by climate or growing conditions. I think they are a pleasant apple, but nothing truly exceptional.
ReplyDeleteThis was not an anomalous example of the batch I had to chose from. It is interesting how different conditions can produce different-looking (and -tasting) fruits.
ReplyDeleteWhat do yours usually look like?
I agree with your qualitative assessment.
Mine don't have lenticels that are that pronounced, though in viewing a second time I do believe that might be an effect of light or camera angle. Mine are a little taller (a "type" associated with Washington State apples), a smoother finish (again typical of WA) and have a beautiful pink blush on most apples grown on open pruned trees.
ReplyDeleteWell, in my case it's not just a trick of the light. I think the darker spots may be russet or something similar in the lenticels.
ReplyDeleteI picked up some Golden Supreme apples today. I think your description is quite accurate. The skin is very very chewy. I was surprised. All of the larger ripe fruit have lenticels and look exactly like your photo. I noticed that the smaller, greener apples in the lot lacked the lenticels.
ReplyDeleteIn this part of the world, Golden Supreme really is a late-Summer apple. I imagine the skin becomes a bit tougher (and waxier) in storage.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to know that they keep well through November. I wouldn't mind one or two in the mix around now.