Knobbed Russet

Today's Knobbed Russet is neither. ¶ 

The twisted, glowering Knobbed Russet I reviewed in 2011 is more characteristic. I was strongly tempted to reuse its photo to show some of the deformity this variety can achieve ¶ 

This Knobbed Russet has a reputation of being covertly tasty, a connoisseurs secret. It was the failure of my 2011 samples to meet that standard that made me especially pleased to try again.

Today's apples are a pale gold, one with a small orange glow of a blush, both with fractal zig-zags of a rough brown russet.

If you look closely at the russet in the stem well you'll see dark brown flecks mixed in to a medium brown base.

Two kinds of russeting

The calyx is deep set, and open, and around it the russet is darker and scabby.

This is the substance that can, if more extensive, give this apple its "knobbed" look. It really has a different character than the stuff in the stem well.

However, the lighter russet also includes a few thick bumps, crusty matter that I think of as characteristic of the breed.

The apples are broad and ribbed, oblate in the case of the photographed one, a bit conical for the other. Number 2 also has a few knobby extrusions like brown barnacles.

Both have many tiny lenticels filled in with dark grey. My blushed sample has a smattering of saturated red spots.

They are firm in hand and have a faint sweet aroma.

Flashback

I hope the lengthy description is not tedious, but Knobbed Russet is known for (named for) its characteristic appearance, which apparently can vary considerably.

For example,

Knobby ca. 2011

consider one of my 2011 samples. This was actually the least unusual of the ones I tried.

Another of those did not look especially like something to eat. It resembled a rock or a chunk of wood.

Compared to that, today's apples are practically supermarket grade. Shall we taste?

Knoble gobble

Inside KR, dense fine-grained while flesh is well balanced, with a lively tart accent. It is a bit chewy. The better tasting sample of the two was less crisp.

These offer a little peppery spice, Meyer lemon, and some generic berry flavors. Even, faintly, vanilla.

One has faint nutty undertones that are almost chocolatey, which is really quite interesting. I think at least some of that is coming from the peel.

These were challenging to evaluate. One had a little watercore inside, and the other was rotting from the core outwards.

On balance I find KR genuinely interesting and unusual in ways that have nothing to do with its appearance. However, they are just a bit harsh.

Then and now

For whatever reason, these did not strike me as terribly russet-like. The flesh was russet-dense, but not very crisp, and there were none of the characteristic pear flavors.

What is clear is that these have more distinctive tastes than the ones I tried in 2011, which were on the bland side despite a good sweet-tart balance.

Although the appearance of these is not especially characteristic, they are the best I've had so far. I'm making this post my "official" review for Knobbed Russet, depreciating the previous one.

The older report accurately describes what these apples can be like, and the comments there are really worth reading if you want to know more about this apple.

The appeal of the odd

It would certainly be narrow minded to dismiss an apple based on looks alone, as one indignant reader accused me of doing when I was underwhelmed in 2011.

This apple has passionate defenders. Still, I have to suppose that some of the affection for this variety is that is can be really, and surprisingly, ugly, yet still edible, even enjoyable. Its novelty, in other words, rather than its quality.

Judged on its eating qualities alone, it has not proved itself, to me, to be as good as most russets of conventional appearance.

I'm always willing to try again, of course.

History

To crib from my 2011 report,

Wikipedia says the Knobbed Russet originated in Sussex in 1819, and is also known as Knobby Russet, Winter Russet, and Old Maid's Winter Apple.

To give this apple its due: I was pleased to watch this tasting video on the Captive Roots Youtube channel from a narrator who really finds these to be exceptional ("top two or three," he says).

It made me want to try Knobbed Russet again sometime.