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The appearance of this apple, subdued yellow-green mottled by russet, with a splash of translucent red blush, is not promising.
Belle de Boskoop is a large medium-sized apple with a slight amount of ribbing and a sweet cider aroma.
Light lenticels are not obvious except where russeted over.
Her flesh is a bit yielding, light yellow and halfway between fine and coarse-grained. The flavors are generally pleasant, for there is a decent amount of tartness to balance the pure cane-sugar sweetness.
However, despite a hint of pear, something almost savory, and some lively spicy notes, this apple never really comes together for me. (But, here's another opinion.) I wonder if cooking, or fermentation, unlocks this apple.
This Dutch variety (Boskoop is about 20 miles north of Rotterdam) originated around the middle of the 19th Century. Apples of New York did not like it much, though Yepson is a bit kinder.
Belle's flesh oxidizes very quickly.
My samples looks quite different. Mine is faintly complete russet with reddish hues in the background. No yellow background either. Does yours have the 3 pronounced ribs on it? Basically like how northern spy has 5 ribs this has 3...ill take a picture of mine tomorrow. There are different modern sports of boskoop, Im positive mine is pure...I will be in town (boston) this week...maybe we can have lunch? If not I still have to send you some heritage Maine apples and some other oddities at a later date once I visit a friend who has them. He will be moreso inclined to give me fruit once he knows it will be bogged about!
ReplyDeleteI tasted BdB for the first time today. In looks, much like your sample. In flavors: sweet, tart, a bit of astringency, a hint of cinnamon or allspice, with flesh consistency similar to your description. I thought it would be grand in pie, if I had more than one on hand. A NAFEX member, Richard Ossolinsky, who keeps an orchard near the shores of Maine, says some years his BdB have definite cinnamon taste. Seems to be dependent upon conditions. The apple I tried was grown north of Spokane, WA, (which tells me I could grow it in my back yard, if room can be found) and this year was odd. Spring arrived about 4 weeks later than ever, but plenty of hot days in August seem to have compensated.
ReplyDelete@Nutting: I felt that this apple had some similar eating qualities to those of Calville Blanche d'Hiver, which is an extraordinary baking apple.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly a stretch to judge baking apples by their uncooked tastes and textures, but tempting in this case.
@Hawk, re ribbing: Not pronounced, and not 3 big lobes or ribs either. But I only had a few samples from which to choose. I'm sure these things vary.
(Now Calville--there's a ribbed apple.)
This is not considered an eating apple, but THE cooking apple for much of northern continental europe. The English have their Bramleys, here we prefer Belle de Boskoop for cooking although Bramley has been widely grown here.
ReplyDeleteI grow both, Bramley just recently started cropping - till now I favor Belle de Boskoop, but must try out Bramley some more until my final judgement.
I live in Denmark, here it is the only apple available that classifies primarily as a cooker. It is great for apple sauce and many years ago in lack of good eating apples it would be used by some people as an eating apple around March when it had lost most of its acid/tartness.
So, I suggest trying it in February/March as a very late eating apple or as a cooker in November/December.
Best Regards
Johnny
Johnny, thanks! There's nothing like practical advice based on experience.
DeleteForgot to mention - there is a much prettier red sport with russet, which is the one I am growing.
ReplyDeleteJohnny
I grew up with this apple. We made it into Apple juice, cider, and Apple Sauce. It's also my favorite eating Apple after Christmas. My mom used to tast every App,e that she cut up for sauce because there is such a huge variation in taste. A good one never went into the pot. It was split for the family. I now live in Michigan, and have planted 7 tres three years ago of the Red and yellow variety. They are distinctly different apples in taste and texture. Not just looks.
ReplyDeleteWhich do you like better, the yellow or the red?
DeleteI want to hear more about the difference between the yellow and red! I planted a Red Belle de Boskoop but thought that the color wouldn't matter much.
DeleteSorry, just wrote a long answer and it dispeared. Hopefully my web site (fernwoodranch.com) will be up soon. But, the difference that I have experienced is that the Red Boskoop has a differet flesh consistency - tastes mor "sandy" to me. But, the difference in taste, even off one tree is huge. Just got a bushel from Eastman Antique Apples here in Mid- Michigan, and did some brix testing on it. 15.4 % in a mix of apples, some apples had already mellowed to the typical December taste, some not so much. There is a third sport (Bogo) that is even redder - have never tasted that one though.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to miss whatever was lost. Thank you for sharing your experiences with this variety, which I do not claim to know well.
DeleteI look forward to the day your web page is up and running.
Hi, we just got our first decent harvest off a Boskoop tree. Way too intense flavor for eating, but superb for cooking! I canned apple pie filling with these, and the pies we have made this winter are outstanding. I was expecting mush because the apples are cooked twice, once in the canner and once in the pie. Not so, the apple slices turned out firm, very close to a fresh apple pie in texture, and the flavor is outstanding! We don't have a good place to store over winter, so canning or drying are our only good options. Boskoop is so valued in our orchard, wish we had more than 2 young trees. Oh, and did I mention the apples were very large? Karen
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Reports like this, which must come form the Southern Hemisphere, make me really miss the harvest.
DeleteI stumbled across the Belle De Boscoop apple quite by accident some years ago whilst out trout fishing (New Zealand, yeah Southern Hemisphere) when I came across an unusual tree full of apples growing wild down on the river bank, I tasted one of these apples and was immediately hooked on the taste so I picked a bag full, took them home and my wife made some into apple pies, we were so impressed that some time later I went back to the tree and found a sport growing from it's root system that I was able to remove and replant in our own garden which has turned into an amazing tree that can give huge crops of apples that we give away to friends and neighbours after we have what we need for ourselves.I found out what this apple's name was some years later and also that it was popular in NZ and Australia in the pioneering days (mid to late 1800s) You can't just buy this apple here but you can buy the trees from some nursrys which is a shame because few people here would know just how good it is.
ReplyDeleteAllan, that is a charming story. "A sport growing from its root system"--are you sure that is what you mean?
DeleteI LOVE this apple. In my top tier for fresh eating, along with King David and Spi-Gold. Am topworking a Hooples Antique Gold tree (meh) to BdB
ReplyDeleteI live in Germany, close to the Netherlands. This is a local apple for us. I agree, it's to harsh for fresh eating. At least eating it whole feels like work, and I prefer sour type apples. Unless you slice it thinly and eat it with strong cheese or in a salad etc. There the acidity can cut through the fattiness and give a crisp texture.
ReplyDeleteIts high acidity and aromatics also make it one of the best cookers though; excellent for pies and juice, jam...
It is the apple of choice for a winter/christmas time dish we call "Bratapfel" (google is your friend) here in Germany - basically a whole apple with its core removed and suffed with all types of goodies from raisins, walnuts, marzipan, brown sugar, cinnamon... put it in the oven and serve piping hot with vanilla sauce or ice cream. That's what this apple is for.
If one was looking for a similar style of apple but more pleasant for fresh eating (whilst also being able to serve as a good cooker - maybe not AS good as the Boskoop) I would want to recommend the Holstein ("Holsteiner Cox"). Climate requirements are similar, both have a very vigorous growth habit and fruit is similar in size.
The Boskoop is readily available in winter time, since people have a demand for a good cooker; whilst the Holstein is only commercially available in the northern parts (which is why I grow it myself) where it is a local variety and people are aware of its good qualities.
There also is a red variety available, a sport discovered here in Germany. Same culinary characteristics, just maybe more beautiful looking. Which is why it is often sold more.
Thank you for that description!
DeleteI found Holstein to be a little different, though still (like Boskoop) a dense apple.
Sure, and why even compare an almost exclusive cooker with an eater??
DeleteEven comparing apples and apples is not that easy. :D
What they share is the climate they are grown in that makes them regional rivals. They like it cool and wet. Which is why they both dominate in the regions along the coasts of the Netherlands, northern Germany, Denmark etc.
The home grower should want to pick an apple that can actually develop its full characteristics where he lives. Every variety needs the proper climate to achieve its full potential. And this is where they meet as contenders for the home grower, I think, and where a comparison between the two starts making some sense.
If someone living in such a climate is looking for an apple to grow, and tends to prefer slightly tart and aromatic, yet pleasant eating apples backed by some sweetness. Holstein would be a good pick. It also can be dual purpose.
But if such a person is looking for an excellent cooker and juicer, that also has a similar complex tart-aromatic feel and can bring the complete flavour profile into the final product aswell, then Boskoop is the even better choice. Boskoop needs to be civilized first before it shows what it has to offer.
Or, you know, grow both. But beware, they both grow huge trees! ;)