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All about apples, pears, plums, and cherries - and orchards where they are grown

Chenango Strawberry apple

Medium to large fruit smooth, yellowish or greenish-white skin striped with crimson. Flesh juicy, mildly subacid, aromatic with a hint of strawberries. Skin smooth and tough. Pick when skin starts to turn milky.

USDA identification images for Chenango Strawberry

The identification paintings in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection span the years 1886 to 1942.

    Citation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705.

    Visitor reviews

    • 29 Dec 2021  PA, United States
      All the disease/ripening/other issues that people say about this apple in the thread are true, but I have to say that there are times when I've pulled one of these apples at just the right moment and it was DELICIOUS. Unfortunately, as everyone has said, that moment, because of disease, ripening issues, etc., are hard to come by. I will add too that the tree is a very precocious grower and requires a lot of pruning.
    • 04 Jun 2019  ME, United States
      We've had CS here for a couple of decades now. It's a favorite at the market at which we sell--early, lovely, unusual, tasty. The problems people mention are easily managed through timely captan sprays. They also MUST be harvested at the "milky" stage: it you let them ripen on the tree, they're gone. Finally, refrigerate immediately. Our Chenangos never go into sauce: they get eaten too quickly.
    • 27 Aug 2018  PA, United States
      We have 1/2 of a tree grafted with this apple that is +60 yrs old. Yes, it is a very fussy apple, only good for sauce and eating with a soft, smooth texture. But we can start harvest of ours in late July-early Aug and must pick every few days to get them before rotting on the tree. It does not keep well even in refrigeration.
    • 07 Aug 2016  NEW YORK, United States
      Best tasting apple for hand eating I've ever had, but the skins can be leathery and tannic on fruit from poorly cared for trees. The trees themselves are delicate and fussy, but a fresh, well grown apple from one is a genuinely eye-opening experience.
    • 04 Sep 2015  CHENANGO COUNTY, NEW YORK, United States
      The best apple for pie! It is very tender and never tough or undercooked. Yes, they mumify on the tree, but are worth the attractive fruit so prized.
    • 04 Sep 2015  DARKE, OH, United States
      I would agree that this apple would not rate high if it were not for the use as a sauce apple. The soft texture tends toward smooth sauce of good flavor. Ripens over long period so need to pick over tree numerous times. I like it better than transparent for sauce
    • 02 Aug 2015  WISCONSIN, United States
      These trees are not worth the hassle. They have are average tasting (there is a sharpness to them), and are a pain to harvest. These apples will rot and mummify on the tree before they are ripe so must be picked early, but also don't last. Still trying to get a decent crop.

    Tree register

    United States

    Canada

    Spring blossom records for this variety

    2016 season

    • June  2016  - tree owned by B. in Searsmont, United States

    Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.


    Harvest records for this variety

    2019 season

    • 1st week August  2019  - tree owned by Dennis in Bradford, United States

    2017 season

    • 1st week August  2017  - tree owned by Dennis in Bradford, United States

    2016 season

    • September  2016  - tree owned by B. in Searsmont, United States
    • 4th week July  2016  - tree owned by Dennis in Bradford, United States

    2013 season

    • 2nd week August  2013  - tree owned by Dennis in Bradford, United States

    Origins

    • Species: Malus domestica - Apple
    • Parentage: Unknown
    • Originates from: New York, United States
    • Introduced: 1854 and earlier
    • UK National Fruit Collection accession: 1952-115

    Identification

    • Annual cycle: Deciduous

    Using

    • Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators

    Climate

    • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)
    • Summer average maximum temperatures: Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)
    • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cold (< 20C / 67F)

    Other qualities

    • Cedar apple rust: Some resistance
    • Scab (Apple and Pear): Some susceptibility
    • Powdery mildew: Some susceptibility
    • Fire blight: Some susceptibility

    Where to buy fresh fruit

    The following orchards grow Chenango Strawberry:

    United States


    Canada




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