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I guess this gigantic apple is England's King Luscious. It is colossal, some 13-1/2 inches around.
Howgate Wonder's size grabbed my attention right away. Beyond that, it is conical and moderately ribbed, a light spring green with a streaky red blush and a glossy peel.
It's lenticels are small and indistinct.
Heavy in hand, this is one hefty apple! The stem is appropriately thick and stubby, in a shallow stem well.
Mouthful
Normally I would just cut this into slices but I do not have a knife, let
alone one big enough!
Flavors feature a sweet malt and a bit of caramel. This is quite a nice combination, and the crunch is first rate once you figure out how to get it into your mouth.
A good bit of acidity enlivens this apple, but overall flavors are mild.
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| Howgate Wonder at left, next to a Scrumptious that is on the small end of medium-sized. |
The apple originated on the Isle of Wight a bit more than a century ago, a Blenham Orange x Newton Wonder cross
Howgate seems to be used primarily for cooking, but in my view it's well worth eating out of hand when fresh.
Especially if you are hungry.
I think you mean circumference, not diameter? If not, you have really, really big hands. Or at least one really big hand.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, yes. Don't know where my head was at. Fixed now, thanks.
DeleteStill plenty big.
I really don't mean this to sound like bitchy one-upmanship, but 13.5" is probably a bit on the modest size for a Howgate Wonder. I have a couple in my kitchen that are 16 inchers, and they're only around 500g each. The largest I grew last year was 771g, although sadly I didn't get a circumference measurement before I ate it...
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a lovely apple though, great flavour, cooks down to a rich puree.
Not at all, Darren, thank you for the report! It is something to wonder at to be sure.
DeleteDarren, do you know what Hardiness zone they are?
DeleteSadly, I don't know for sure, no. All the sources I have are UK-focused, so hardiness zones don't feature.
DeleteIf it helps though, I'm based in Manchester, in the North West of the UK, we apparently have a similar climate to Washington State, and they grow just fine on my allotment.