Joseph Musch

My two Joseph Musch apples are quite large and broad in the beam, moderately ribbed (one of them has a single half bulge), and with open calyxes. ¶ 

Each has a warm red blush comprising stripes of variegated intensity, with faint tiny tan lenticels that are not easy to see (a bit more visible on one of the apples). ¶ 

The underlying color is yellow, expressed as orange where the blush is thin. ¶ 

One sample has a bit of a dimple that I might suppose was from hail earlier in life. However, this apple grew under a roof (more on that latter), so that's not likely.

The fruit also bears two small scabby warts. I am not very familiar with apple diseases, but I don't think this is apple scab. These are not consequential in any case.

Joseph feels quite firm and smells faintly of grass and yeast, the aromas of russet. There is a little russet in the stem well.

Munch Musch much

The munching of Musch is a bit of work: the fruit is hard and dense and big, so getting purchase for the first bite is not trivial! 

The medium-grained off-white flesh is, unfortunately, partially watercored, so getting a read may be challenging.

The watercore is not extensive, but it does marble every part of both apples, which means I can't really get a good read on flavors beyond that.

Reading between the watercore, I think this has a good balance of sweet and tart. That of course reads as "tart," unnuanced, by the modern standard that says apples must be loaded with sugar and nothing else.

In fairness to the tart-averse, please expect a bracing share of acidity. In my view, this enlivens the flavors, which are floral and spicy.

There is also a fruity quality (berries? melon?) beyond the flowers and snap. My powers founder in the watercore, but it is still possible to enjoy this apple nonetheless.

Bio and Biology

Joseph Musch was a Belgian grower who originated the apple in the later part of the 19th century. The apple is also known as Gascoyne's Scarlet, after the nursery that commercialized the apple after Musch's death in 1870.

I haven't discovered more about this apple's story or antecedents, but a 2020 genetic analysis of 600 apple varieties identifies it as an open-pollinated Baumanns Renette (Reinette).