Chehalis *

Chehalis is a light yellow-green apple blushed about half with a delicate translucent peach. It has a classical shape with a slight taper and barely detectible ribbing. ¶ 

Lenticel dots are large and distinct, tiny brown-and-red bullseyes in the blush, a darker green dot elsewhere. Its calyx is slightly parted.

Chehalis has juicy pale yellow flesh that is medium-coarse with a yielding crunch. Its flavors are as delicate as its blush, honey sweet with banana and hints of lemon and berries. 

The tender flesh melts away rather before the chewier peel, an ending that mars an otherwise delightful bite.

PHOTO: JOSH

The National Fruit Collection (UK) says Chehalis is an open-pollinated Golden Delicious found ca 1955 by Lloyd Lonborg of Oakville, Washington. "Chehalis" is the name of a nearby river.

Josh, an orchardist in Snohomish, included three of these in an apple care package in September with several other varieties (and some Asian pears). 

Reading between the lines, I think this is the apple he especially wanted to share. The photo of Chehalis on the tree is his.

It is an interesting find, and I am very grateful to him for the chance to try this and his other apples. 

Josh provided food for thought a few years ago with a flight of unidentified varieties. (We may have figured out a few of them; in any case, fun.)