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Some of my pale yellow samples of Yellow Bellflower are less tapered than this (photo).
Nonetheless, all sit on tiny bases (or, if you prefer, crowns) around partially open calyxes.
Some have faint streaks of a pink orange blush, and all are ribbed and decorated with dark lenticel dots, large and distinct above, tiny and close together below.
You can feel them with your fingertips, rough projections from the peel.
The apples have a satiny sheen. A splash of russet surrounds each short stem. These feel firm in hand.
They are pretty big!
Crunch time
The Bellflower's flavors are mild but sweet, with cream soda and hints of baking spices in the background. It has an excellent sweet-tart balance that provides just a little kick.
The quality of my samples varied. One had watery flavors, another poor texture and muddle flavors.
Reviews and historical accounts generally emphasize the culinary qualities of this apple. But I enjoyed eating the better ones out of hand.
Bellflower
And also, I assume, for the color of the fruit.
The apple's origin was not noted at the time, but Pomiferous locates its ortet (original tree) in colonial New Jersey based on later historical notes.
Authorities assume the Yellow B is the seed parent of Hawkeye, the proto Red Delicious.
Thanks! I grafted in one of these a year ago, and had never seen a good, modern review before now.
ReplyDeleteAlso....other reports I've read claim these improve in storage- they are a 'January' apple, similar to Ashmede's Kernal and etc.
ReplyDeleteWe planted a Yellow Bellflower among our first trees. A deer got through our fence and damaged it. It survived but never thrived after that. I agree with you about the flavor. It was pleasant and mild. When the tree eventually died, however, I thought too many other varieties surpassed it, so I did not replace it with another Yellow Bellflower.
ReplyDeleteI can see why. It's not at all bad, and it has an interesting story, but you can't grow 'em all.
DeleteStill I am pleased to have had a taste.