Red-flesh apples
Whilst most apples that we come across have white or cream flesh, a small number of varieties have red flesh or pink flesh. These unusual varieties share a number of characteristics and are mostly related to each other to some degree.
There are two strands to the genealogy of red-fleshed apples. It is thought that a crab apple called Niedzwetzkyana (the Manchurian Crab) from central Asia is the common ancestor. Varieties descended from Niedzwetzkyana tend to have the more extreme red characteristics.
The other strand of red-fleshed varieties derives from a breeding programme carried out by Albert Etter in northern California in the first half of the 20th century. Most of his apples were developed from a red-fleshed variety called Surprise which had been brought from Europe in the 19th century by German settlers in the Ohio River area. It too is probably descended from Niedzwetzkyana - but the Surprise apples tend to have less extreme red coloration.
The key characteristic is the flesh, which may be extensively or even entirely pink or dark red. However whilst the flesh makes an interesting talking point, the flavour of many of these varieties is very poor. Some can be used for juicing or cooking, but it is probably fair to say that if it were not for the red-flesh, you would not pay these varieties much attention.
As well as the red-flesh, varieties directly descended from Niedzwetzkyana usually have a strange dull red tinge (anthocyanin pigment) in the leaves, and if you cut into the young wood it may be internally red as well. In other words the entire tree - leaves, wood, flowers, and fruit, has the red pigmentation. Other varieties may have more conventional green leaves and white wood, although the blossom is usually red as well. Many of these varieties ripen relatively early in the season and the fruit does not keep particularly well.
The anthocyanic pigmentation is also apparent in the Russian rootstock Budagovsky 9 (usually known as Bud.9). This variety is grown for its rootstock characteristics, not its apples, but the pronounced red coloring of its wood perhaps indicates Niedzwetzkyana somewhere in its ancestry.
Red-flesh characteristics can also be seen in a few mainstream apple varieties such as Discovery, where there is some red staining into the flesh, as if the skin has bled into the flesh, and Red Devil where the red staining is more pronounced. However these varieties are in all other respects conventional apples, with far better flavour and easier to grow, and probably not related to Niedzwetzkyana - suggesting that the red flesh characteristic can arise spontaneously in new varieties.
Propagation and growing of these varieties is not easy, as many of them grow poorly and have below-average disease resistance. They also seem prone to biennial bearing – fruiting every other year rather than annually.
Despite all these issues, the red-fleshed apples are certainly fascinating and different. Not surprisingly, they are the subject of research programmes in several countries, because it is likely that if the horticultural problems could be ironed out, and the flavour brought up to acceptable standards, this type of apple could command a considerable premium in the market.
We have descriptions and tasting notes of a small number of these varieties:
Tickled Pink (Baya® Marisa)
If you want to find out more about red-fleshed apple varieties, visit the website of apple enthusiast Nigel Deacon - see http:/www.suttonelms.org.uk/apple52.html.
Nigel is also keen to exchange scionwood and seeds of these remarkable apple varieties - you can contact him via his website.