Russet apples are varieties and

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s of

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ances ...

s that regularly exhibit russeting, partial or complete coverage with rough patches of greenish-brown to yellowish-brown colour. While russeting is generally an undesirable trait in modern cultivars, russet varieties are often seen as more traditional, and associated with aromatic flavours.

Overview

Many apple

s have some natural russeting, but some are almost entirely covered in it, notably the

Egremont Russet The Egremont Russet is a cultivar of dessert apple, of the russet type. It has a rich, nutty flavour and crisp, firm and fairly juicy flesh. It was first recorded in 1872, and is believed to have been raised by the Earl of Egremont at Petwor ...

. Russet apples often exhibit a scent and flavour reminiscent of

nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

, and are often very sweet. Despite this, modern apple breeders rarely accept russeting in new apple cultivars. The amount of russeting can be affected by various factors including,

weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

damage and

agrochemical An agrochemical or agrichemical, a contraction of ''agricultural chemical'', is a chemical product used in industrial agriculture. Agrichemical refers to biocides (pesticides including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and nematicides) an ...

applications (e.g.

insecticides Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed t ...

fungicides Fungicides are biocidal chemical compounds or biological organisms used to kill parasitic fungi or their spores. A fungistatic inhibits their growth. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in critical losses of yield, quality ...

and growth regulators). Russet apples also go under the name "rusticoat", "russeting" and "leathercoat". The last name was known in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's time; for instance, in '' Henry IV, part 2'', Davy says to Bardolph, "there's a dish of leathercoats for you".

Types

*'Acklam Russet' *'

Adam's Pearmain Adams Pearmain, also called Adam's Parmane, is a cultivar of apple. It was introduced to the Horticultural Society of London The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading g ...

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Ashmead's Kernel Ashmead's Kernel is a triploid cultivar of apple. Traditionally, Ashmead's Kernel was thought to be diploid but a poor pollinator. Origin Ashmead's Kernel is often reported as having been raised by Dr Ashmead in Gloucester, England in the 18th ...

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Blenheim Orange Blenheim Orange (Kempster's Pippin) is a cultivar of apple. It was found at Woodstock, Oxfordshire near Blenheim in England in about 1740. It has been described as a cooking apple. A tailor named George Kempster planted the original kernel and ...

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Belle de Boskoop Belle de Boskoop (also called Goudrenet, Goudreinet or Goudreinnette) is an apple cultivar which originated in Boskoop, Netherlands, where it began as a chance seedling in 1856. Variants include Boskoop red, yellow and green. This rustic apple is ...

*'Braddick's Nonpareil' *'

Claygate Pearmain Claygate Pearmain is an apple cultivar. It was found at Claygate, Surrey in England and brought to the attention of the Royal Horticultural Society by John Braddick in 1821. The apple was a popular eating apple in Victorian era, Victorian times a ...

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English Russet 'English Russet' is an old cultivar of domesticated apple which keeps exceptionally well in storage. It is a russet apple that makes good cider, is used fresh, but is not very useful as a cooking apple. It has frequently been confounded with 'Gol ...

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Golden Russet Golden Russet is an old American cultivar of domesticated apple which is excellent for fresh eating as well as for apple cider production. It is a russet apple and is therefore especially used as a cider apple. It is sometimes known as 'English G ...

' *'Hereford Russet' *'

Knobby Russet The Knobby Russet, also known as Knobbed Russet, Winter Russet, Old Maids, and Winter Apple, is a large green and yellow apple cultivar with a rough and black russet Russet may refer to: * Russet (cloth), a coarse woolen cloth of brown or grey c ...

' *'Merton Russet' *'

Nonpareil Nonpareil(s) from the French meaning 'without equal', it may also refer to: * Nonpareil, Guyana, a village in Guyana * Nonpareil, Nebraska, a community in the United States * Nonpareil, Oregon, a former community in the United States * Nonpareils ...

' *'

Reinette du Canada Reinette du Canada or Canadian Reinette is, despite its name, an old French cultivar of domesticated apple. It is a reinette type of golden apple, with much russeting, which keeps shape in cooking and is mainly used for that purpose especially ...

' *'

Ribston Pippin 'Ribston Pippin' is a triploid cultivar of apples, also known by other names including 'Essex Pippin', 'Beautiful Pippin', 'Formosa', 'Glory of York', 'Ribstone', 'Rockhill's Russet', 'Travers', and 'Travers's Reinette'. Origin This apple was gro ...

' *'Ross Nonpareil' *'

Roxbury Russet The 'Roxbury Russet' is an apple cultivar, believed to be the oldest apple cultivar bred in the United States, having first been discovered and named in the mid-17th century in the former Town of Roxbury, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony sout ...

' (also known as Boston Russet) *'Rudford Russet' *'St Edmund's Pippin' *'Sam Young' *'Tydeman's Late Orange' *'

Winston Winston may refer to: Places Antarctica * Winston Glacier Australia * Winston, Queensland, a suburb of the City of Mount Isa United Kingdom * Winston, County Durham, England, a village * Winston, Suffolk, England, a village and civil pa ...

References

Apples {{apple-fruit-stub

Overview

Types

See also

References