There are about 20,000 apple varieties worldwide, of which more than 1,000 grow in Germany. They can be roughly divided into summer, autumn and winter apples. In our little apple variety guide, we introduce you to the most popular varieties.
Apples: available in every season
Depending on the time of harvest and storability, apples are divided into different groups:
- Summer apples: summer apples ripen in July/August and are not suitable for storage. They include, for example, the clear or August apple, James Grieve and Gravensteiner.
- Autumn apples: after the opening of the season for apples can be enjoyed from September to early November, the classic autumn apples. With them, for example, the Renette or Alkmene, picking and eating ripeness coincide, which means that you no longer have to let them ripen and can eat or process them immediately.
- Winter apples: winter apples such as Boskop, Bohnapfel or Boikenapfel are also harvested in autumn, but they are not yet immediately ripe for consumption. Only after a few weeks of storage they are ripe and taste fully aromatic. Although you can always buy Elstar, Braeburn, Idared and others, but these are special breeds or imports.
Typical aroma of different varieties of apples
The regional varieties, which are usually found at regional markets or farm stores, on the other hand, depending on their origin, have a typical aroma that even the layman can easily taste. Thus, an Aargauer Jägerapfel from the High Rhine tastes completely different from, for example, Nordschleswige Gravensteiner or the Rote Triersche Weinapfel.
In Germany, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Elstar, Cox Orange, Boskop, Rubinette, Gala and Braeburn are most commonly purchased.
Boskop and Golden Delicious
Boskop have a rough, dull skin, usually dark red or cloudy orange in color. Picked from late September, the large fruits are edible from December to April. The juicy flesh becomes friable with time. Boskop have a tart and intensely fruity taste, making them particularly suitable for baking and cooking.
Golden Delicious, on the other hand, have only a slight acidity and a juicy-sweet aroma. The white-yellowish, crisp flesh softens later. The green-yellow apple is ripe for picking from mid-September to mid-October and remains ripe for eating until May.
Elstar, Gala, Jonagold and Rubinette.
Crosses with Golden Delicious are Elstar, Gala, Jonagold and Rubinette. The former are characterized by their intensely aromatic flavor with a balanced sugar-acid ratio. The thin skin of the small to medium-sized fruits is yellow with a light red top color.
Elstar can also be enjoyed until May, while Rubinette are not harvested until October and ripeness for consumption lasts only until January.
The round to cone-shaped rubinette has a yellow skin with slightly washed-out to bright red stripes. The stalk is strikingly long. Its yellowish, juicy flesh tastes balanced and rich.
