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Random crabapples? You might think I would have done this before, but no.
I do not know what this little apple may be, if it has a variety name. I just prefer to call it something other than "unknown crabapple 1"
Henderson is a personal nickname.
I shall be surprised if this is in any way good to eat. It may be a spitter.
Still I am always curious about the dimensions of this fruit. Crabs and cider apples often bear flavors that are off the beaten track.
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These apples wear a pretty, glossy blush that shades from orange to red, with a little yellow peeking through the least-saturated regions.
Those russetted lenticel dots are striking, and the stems are needle thin.
The crabs are about an inch in diameter and and inch and a quarter long, not counting the part of the calyx that protrudes from the base and makes it difficult for these to stand up.
Compare with Dolgo, a named variety.
They have no problem lying on their sides, however, thanks to some prominent ribbing that creates a flat surface.
I just plucked these off a local tree yesterday, and they are rock hard.
Spit or eat?
The flesh is tolerable, with a bit of acidity but otherwise bland. However, the peel is bitter and unpleasant.
I don't usually consider the parts of the apple separately, but I peeled a segment to sample just the flesh. There is a little residual bitterness in the finish even without the peel.
Also, the cut flesh smells faintly of raw almond.
That is about it for these apples. Which, to be fair, were bred as ornaments, not food.
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Identity
They grow about a block from my house. This neighborhood at one time (at least 150 years ago) was a pear orchard, and there are still a shrinking number of old trees about that drop a few soft fruits in late summer.
These crabs are younger and mark a later historical era.
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| Planted for looks. |
I enjoy your existing body of content and when I learn of a new variety often check to see if you've reviewed it. That said, sampling random apples from your local environment, especially seedlings, is like treasure hunting. I hope you do more posts like this in the future and find gold.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to review named varieries, but beggars can't be choosers.
DeleteThere is a Henderson apricot, but I know of no Henderson crab. I'll take it as a bittersweet compliment to share the name if it is a beautiful ornamental with an astringent taste.
ReplyDeleteI did think of you, John. But Henderson is a local place name.
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