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Elstar is generally medium-sized, with some variation. It is moderately ribbed with a streaky red blush over yellow, and with tan, nearly invisible lenticels (a few have dark specks in the center).
This apple is firm with a sweet aroma that suggest the Golden Delicious variety. (Aptly so, as it turns out.)
Inside is coarse yellow flesh, yielding and moderately crisp. The flavors are sweet and luscious, with a marvelous nectarine note, faint but distinct, also some pear, melon, honey, and cane sugar. Well worth trying for these fruity flavors.
Elstar originates from the Institute for Horticultural Plant Breeding in the Netherlands, a Golden Delicious x Ingrid Marie cross. (Patent here.) Orange Pippin praises this variety and its bloodlines.
Elstar is an interesting apple. In my opinion, it is fussy about finishing temperature. Basically if you can grow good McIntosh apple you can grow stellar Elstars. The apple seems to be more complex when grown with cool finishing nights. In my 5a area it is hit or miss. I few get an early winter it finishes off nicely and becomes a world class apple. But most years, with warm nights it is simply a good apple. It ripens early September here and we are simply too hot usually in September.
ReplyDeletethe fluffy bunny
My sample grew in 5B. Do you really think these can't grow well in central New England? The Macs around here are pretty darned good, if that is the yardstick.
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