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

Yellow Transparent apple

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Yellow Transparent is a large early-season culinary apple, originating from Russia and quite widespread in Europe and North America.  The tree is very winter-hardy.

In Europe this variety is usually known as White Transparent, and in some areas is called the Glass apple (on account of its slightly translucent skin).



Yellow Transparent identification photos

UK National Fruit Collection
UK National Fruit Collection
©Crown Copyright more >

Visitor reviews

  • 09 Sep 2017  Kathy Toner,  MI, United States
    My family has always enjoyed Yellow Transparent apples as pies and as frozen applesauce. I don't care for them as fresh eating apples, as it is difficult to find the right ripeness. I have to beat the squirrels to the apples, so I begin picking them before they are quite ready, but when mixed with riper apples in pies or sauce they are perfect. The apples do not keep at all, so I put them in the refrigerator immediately after picking. The sauce is so delicious, I don't care for any other kind. They ripen mid-to late-July here in the thumb of Michigan.
  • 17 Feb 2017  Donna Anders,  OH, United States
    The best apple for making applesauce. Little or no sugar needed. Once you've had applesauce from these apples it's hard to go back to applesauce in a jar.
  • 23 Apr 2016  Fred Hawkshaw,  BC, Canada
    Easy to grow hardy Apple. Most comments are correct- timing when best to pick to eat is important but these apples outshine all other species for applesauce! Making applesauce today has been made very simple with the tomato paste/applesauce machines available.
  • 28 Feb 2016  Robert Crandall,  MICHIGAN, United States
    We have 4 of these trees. They are a great apple since they are ready to pick in late June. They are not the best tasting but certainly the earliest. They do make great apple sauce and we are going to can some this year. They are slightly bland compared to the later ripening varieties but I guess there is a trade-off.
  • 14 Sep 2015  Helen Moore,  MAINE, United States
    I grew up with yellow transparent apples, and really want some now. It's been about 35 yrs since I've had one. Please can I buy some?
  • 21 Aug 2015  Rick,  VERMONT, United States
    I bought a piece of land in northern vermont near where I grew up with two mature yellow transparent trees, maybe 80? years old. What a blessing! They bear well every year. The first couple years I had no idea when to anticipate that crucial point of perfect ripeness. It passes so quickly, about August 20 up here in the tundra this year. I have begun to lay tarps below to cusion the drop and minimize bruising. So worth it! Also, I collect the drops twice a day- right to the fridge. The first two weeks seem to be mostly wormy apples, but once they are shed... Mine are absolutely ambrosial when still lightly? firm- give the mushy ones to the chickens!! Mine will have a small green patch around the stem and at that point the flesh is nearly white (before yellow). The yet green apples are perhaps missing half the wow. These apples dropped at the end of its harvest (fresh!) are just fantastic. The tree holds on to them just until they are perfect. If you watch them like a hawk, you will have some truly amazing eats. So good!! In the fridge, mine keep for a while. Yum!!
  • 13 Feb 2015  Edward,  NSW, Australia
    Had our first crop this year - 10 apples on just a small tree planted 3 years ago. Found it difficult to judge when the apples are ripe. A little too early and the apples are rather sour, a little later the apples are soft and mealy. They certainly would be fine for making apple sauce and baking, but I didn't enjoy eating them fresh.
  • 17 Jan 2015  Carroll Cate,  TN, United States
    The Yellow Transparent is the one apple tree in the yard when I grew up. Mother liked them dried and we always had apple sauce. A little brown sugar and nothing else for cooking these down. It defines apple sauce for me and I have never found its equal
  • 03 Sep 2014  Jim Dickie,  NB, Canada
    I have a roughly 100 year old Yellow Transparent tree in my backyard that was left to grow untended for several decades. Two years ago I pruned it back to pretty much a stump, and this year it produced one large, prefect, blemish-free apple. I picked it three days ago, and already today it is completely soft and mealy (inedible). If you are going to eat it, do it right off the tree.
  • 13 Jul 2013  Leslie Johnson,  KS/SHAWNEE, United States
    I just picked my first Yellow Transparent of the season today, July 13, 2013. It's pretty bitter. I should have left it on the tree a few more days, apparently. I'll make apple crisp with it and its siblings, when I pick them.
  • 26 Aug 2012  Dan,  NC, United States
    The best sauce apple I've ever tried. Good with peeling on, better with it off. at the season when it is available there is no other apple available, so it is prized as an eating apple as well, and remarkable when fully ripe for having almost transparent flesh. I know this apple only in Nova Scotia, and it certainly doesn't ship or store well. Watch it like a hawk as it ripens or the crows will consume your share as well as their own. Deer and voles love it too
  • 29 Jan 2012  Krystal,  OR, United States
    These are my favorite apples. I have a small tree in my yard that produces a large amount of apples. They get soft when they are ripe, but still have a great flavor. If you eat them while they are still green & firm they taste similar to a granny smith apple. Great apple for eating, apple sauce & pies.
  • 20 Nov 2011  Frank Thornburgh,  CALIFORNIA, United States
    In the late 1940's through the 1950's this variety was grown along with about a dozen others by our neighbor in Indiana. Since it was the first variety to come on about June-July my brother and I anticipated its arrival. We often ate it way before it was ripe even when the size of a dime. We also preferred to eat it before it turned yellow and softer. Our mother baked pies with it when mature but still green and made apple sauce with it when full yellow. Big green ones were good to throw at each other.
  • 03 Sep 2011  Lynn Broaddus,  WI, United States
    I just made apple butter from this variety and it is splendid. Family loves it. I wouldn't select this for eating as it is a bit soft. Didn't travel well, which is probably why you never see it for sale. We found them at various orchards in Bayfield WI at the end of August - just beginning to come in.

Tree register

United States

Belgium

Ireland

Portugal

Canada

Poland

Iceland

Spring blossom records for this variety

2020 season

  • 26th June  2020  - tree owned by Sigurjon in Reykjavik, Iceland

2018 season

  • 28th May  2018  - tree owned by Steven in Skandia, United States

2016 season

  • May  2016  - tree owned by Jason in Barss Corner, Canada

2015 season

  • 1st May  2015  - tree owned by George in Fredericktown, United States
  • April  2015  - tree owned by Kelly in Seattle, United States

2014 season

  • 5th June  2014  - tree owned by Mitch in Springhill, Canada
  • 11th May  2014  - tree owned by DC in Poncha Springs, United States
  • May  2014  - tree owned by Steven in Skandia, United States
  • May  2014  - tree owned by Don in Twisp, United States

2013 season

  • 15th April  2013  - tree owned by Cody in Rochester, United States
  • April  2013  - tree owned by Diane in Meadville, United States

2012 season

  • 11th May  2012  - tree owned by Will in Powell River, Canada
  • 15th April  2012  - tree owned by DC in Poncha Springs, United States
  • April  2012  - tree owned by Johan in Gent, Belgium
  • 27th March  2012  - tree owned by John in Allendale, United States

2011 season

  • 30th April  2011  - tree owned by John in Allendale, United States

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


Harvest records for this variety

2017 season

  • 2nd week July  2017  - tree owned by Dennis in Bradford, United States

2014 season

  • 4th week August  2014  - tree owned by Mitch in Springhill, Canada
  • 3rd week August  2014  - tree owned by Steven in Skandia, United States
  • 2nd week August  2014  - tree owned by Kathy in White Heath, United States
  • 2nd week August  2014  - tree owned by Kathy in White Heath, United States
  • 2nd week August  2014  - tree owned by Kathy in White Heath, United States

2013 season

  • 3rd week August  2013  - tree owned by Paul in Brunswick, United States
  • 3rd week July  2013  - tree owned by Cody in Rochester, United States

2012 season

  • 4th week August  2012  - tree owned by Johan in Gent, Belgium
  • 3rd week July  2012  - tree owned by DC in Poncha Springs, United States

2011 season

  • 3rd week August  2011  - tree owned by John in Allendale, United States

Origins

  • Species: Malus domestica
  • Introduced: Before 1870
  • Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 1990

Using

  • Picking season: Very early
  • Cropping: Good
  • Keeping (of fruit): 1 week
  • Flavor style (apples): Sweet/Sharp
  • Food uses: Eating fresh
  • Food uses: Culinary
  • Food uses: Traditional cooker
  • Food uses: Dual purpose
  • Cooking result: Puree

Growing

  • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 2
  • Ploidy: Diploid
  • Bearing regularity: Biennial tendency
  • Organic culture: Suitable Although not especially disease-resistant, it still produces clean apples without spraying.

Climate

  • Cold hardiness (USDA): (3) -40F / -40C
  • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cold (< 20C / 67F)
  • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)
  • Summer average maximum temperatures: Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)

Identification

  • Country of origin: Russia
  • Period of origin: 1800 - 1849

Where to buy fresh fruit

United States


Canada




References

  • Cedar-Apple Rust  
    Author: Stephen Vann, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture (FSA7538)
    Rated as resistant - control only needed under high disease pressure.
  • Apples of England (1948)
    Author: Taylor
    As White Transparent

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