|
On the large side of small, James Grieve is round, oblate, and not significantly ribbed.
It sports a red blush tinted with orange, over yellow, streaky and variegated with indistinct boundaries for a blotchy effect, kind of festive.
The lenticel dots are yellow spots.
Chasing James's flavors
I get a faint floral vibe and green herbs (think grassy lettuce), along with berries. It's slightly vinous with a lemony note.
That's all. Which is disappointing because of this apple's reputation. Multiple websites mention its strong, sharp taste.
I always report what I see and taste, but it is hard to ignore a consensus of opinion, even if some of it is probably just copied from others.
This report will have to serve as a placeholder against the day I have another go.
James Grieve is named for its breeder, a Scotsman who lived in Victorian Edinburgh.
At least one website suggests it's not a suitable apple for England's "warmer coastal regions." Some varieties need cold weather to develop their flavors, and Kent is not Scotland.
Here's another view of Mr Grieve's apple:
Sounds like you got a bit of a duff. When were you in the UK? JG is best served early on, and doesn't store well. They're normally well on their way out by the time we're doing apple days
ReplyDeleteYes, I think so!
DeleteThus "placeholder post" etc.
My sample was fresh picked on October 16 in Kent.
My wife and I tasted a James Grieve once, in mid-September 2018, when we went on the walking tour of the clonal collection of Plant Genetic Resources Unit, USDA-ARS, in Geneva, NY, also
ReplyDeleteknown as the Cornell Experimental Orchard. After the tour was over, we were allowed to spend time on our own visiting trees and sampling apples. The James Grieve we tasted was quite enjoyable. It had a nice crunch and a pleasant but not intense flavor (somewhat similar to your experience). When we got home, I read up on the variety and learned of considerable challenges it gave growers, including that it goes soft quickly — so I was surprised the one we tried was so firm. On the USDA-ARS website I learned the James Grieve in the collection was the Red Rosamund strain, and yours looks to be the same, rather than the original. I wondered if that was what made the difference between descriptions and experience. In the end we decided not to obtain James Grieve scionwood.