Apples are delicious and healthy. The selection of apple varieties is enormous. They differ in the size, color and taste of the fruit as well as in the ripening and harvesting times, shelf life and type of use. While some varieties can be eaten immediately after harvest, others develop their distinctive flavor days or weeks after picking. And still others are particularly suitable as roasted, baked or cooking apples.
Apple varieties for home cultivation
Apples ripen at different times. Depending on how ripe they are to be picked and eaten, a distinction is made between summer, autumn and winter apples. An apple is ready to be picked when its stalk can be easily removed. However, that does not mean that it is already suitable for consumption. Because some varieties have to be stored for a while to develop their typical aroma. Only then does one speak of maturity.
summer apples
Apple varieties from D - J
'Delbarestivale'
This crisp, fresh table apple is one of the best early apples. He is also known under the name Delcorf. Its medium-sized to large fruits are greenish-yellow at first and have reddish stripes when fully ripe, bright red on the sunny side. The flesh is firm, juicy, fresh and aromatic, with a fine note of anise. This apple is then ready to be picked and enjoyed from the end of August and can be stored until October/November.
'Helios'
This delicious summer apple is one of the varieties that are resistant to scab. Its fruits are medium-sized, with a smooth, bright yellow skin that is reddish on the sunny side. The flesh is medium-firm, yellowish-white, finely aromatic and more sweet than sour. It is ripe for picking and eating from the beginning of August to September.
'jamba'
This medium-growing variety with large, yellowish-green, smooth-skinned, bright red fruits on the sunny side is ready to be picked and eaten as early as August. The green-white flesh is crisp, very juicy with a refreshing acidity. It is a good pollinator variety.
'James Grieve'
- Long storable variety for home cultivation
- Fruits are medium-sized, with a yellow skin with reddish stripes on the sunny side
- Flesh yellowish-white and juicy
- Pleasantly spicy with mild acidity
- Apples quickly become brittle after harvest
- Suitable for the production of juices, mush and jam
- Somewhat sensitive to scab
- Requires a pollinator variety
Varieties from P - W
'Peach Red Summer Apple'
Very old variety for home cultivation, with blood-red, small to medium-sized fruits. This apple tree offers regular and good yields. The flesh is yellowish-white, sometimes slightly pink and juicy. It has a mild acidity and a rose apple-like spiciness. It is then ready to be picked and enjoyed from August.
'piros'
A very crunchy and aromatic early apple with medium-sized fruits. They are initially yellow-green and, when mature, have an intense red colour. The flesh is soft to medium-firm, yellowish-white with a fine, sweet-sour aroma. Harvest time and ripeness for consumption are from the end of July to August.
,Retina'
- Late summer dessert apple
- Large, regular fruits
- Yellow-green at first and intense red when fully ripe
- Resistant to scab and mildew
- The flesh is firm, juicy and yellowish in colour
- Pleasant aroma and sweet-sour taste
- Can be picked and enjoyed from the end of August to the beginning of September
'Handsome from Bath'
An old crop variety with medium-sized, flattened spherical fruits. They are first greenish-yellow, later patchy red. Their aroma is slightly spicy and the taste is sour. This variety is a good baking apple and suitable as a pollen donor. This apple is then ripe for picking and eating between July and August.
'White Clear Apple'
- Belongs to the old apple varieties for home cultivation
- Characterized by exceptionally early maturity
- Has already been reached in mid to late July
- Fruits are medium-sized, with a uniform greenish-white skin
- Skin turning whitish yellow when fully ripe
- Flesh is whitish-yellow and juicy
- Contains a mild acid
- Fruits quickly become mealy and dry after harvest
autumn apples
Varieties from A - H
'Alcmene'
The fruits of this autumn apple are small to medium-sized, with a golden-yellow, orange-red skin. The flesh is firm and crunchy, as well as greenish-yellow to cream-colored with a finely sour aroma. They are ripe for picking from the beginning to the middle of September and can be eaten from September to the end of October.
,Bolero'
A frost hardy, virus-free and high-yielding columnar apple with green-yellow fruits, firm and juicy flesh. The taste is slightly sour and fruity. It needs a pollinator variety. Harvest time is from August to October. The fruits are ripe for consumption between September and November.
'Dülmen Rose Apple'
- Medium to large fruits
- Skin greenish-yellow to reddish-yellow and greasy
- Slightly pressure sensitive shell
- Juicy flesh with fine spice
- Fully ripe fruits have a distinctive scent
- Harvest from mid-September
- Ready for consumption between September and December
- Resistant to diseases and pests
'gala'
The particularly tasty fruits of this variety are light red, smooth-skinned and have a firm, juicy, sweet and very aromatic flesh. They ripen at the end of September to the beginning of October, can be eaten immediately and can be stored until the end of December.
'Flamed Cardinal'
A medium-sized to large apple with an initially greenish and later yellow skin with red flames. The flesh is tender, mostly white, juicy and has a refreshing taste. The fruits harvested in September are ripe for consumption from October to February and can be stored well. This very old variety is resistant to diseases and pests.
'Holsteiner Cox'
- Excellent table apple
- Descendant of 'Cox Orange' but not as demanding
- Medium to large fruits
- Greenish-yellow and reddish on the sunny side
- White flesh, hearty and aromatic with a fine acidity
- Ready to pick from mid-September to October
- Ripeness for consumption reached between October and December
tip: This apple tree thrives best in loose, well-drained and humus-rich soil. It is hardly suitable as a pollen donor.
Apple varieties from R - S
'Rebelle'
This autumn apple belongs to the varieties with regular and high yields and very good fruit quality. It forms medium-sized to large, bright light red fruits with soft, juicy flesh. They are ripe from the end of September and are ripe for consumption from October to December. They are resistant to scab, mildew and fire blight.
'Resi'
- Very resilient apple variety
- Impressed with rather small fruits
- But it has a very pleasant, sweet and sour taste
- Intense fruity aroma
- Yellow ground color with a slight red overlay
- Flesh is firm and juicy
- Fruits ready to pick from September to November
- Ripeness for consumption reached from September to December
tip: Due to its weak growth, this apple tree is also very suitable for smaller gardens. Suitable pollinating varieties are James Grieve, Piros, Rebella and Rewena.
'Red Autumn Calvill'
Also known as the raspberry or strawberry apple, the variety forms medium-sized to large, smooth and heavily ribbed fruits. When ripe, they are dark red, while the juicy flesh is white and partially streaked with red veins. The taste is sweet and sour and raspberry-like. They are ready for picking from the end of September, they are ripe for consumption from September to December.
tip: If you shake the ripe apple, you can hear the rattling of the cores.
'Glory from Kirchwerder'
It is one of the old German varieties. It bears medium-sized fruits with a green-yellow base color and a dark red, slightly streaky top color. The white, juicy flesh is very refreshing and aromatic. This apple is ready to pick from September and ready to eat from September to the end of October/beginning of November.
'Starfish Lemon Apple'
The fruits of this table and commercial apple are remarkably large with initially greenish-yellowish and later lemon-yellow skin. They have a very juicy, white to light yellow flesh with a sweet and sour taste and a distinctive aroma.
tip: The 'Seestermüher lemon apple' is very suitable for pressing, among other things. It is also very hardy and a good pollen donor.
winter apples
Apple varieties from A - C
'Altländer pancake apple'
- Scab resistant and otherwise very robust table and commercial apple
- Belongs to the old apple varieties
- Medium-sized fruits green-yellow and reddish on the sunny side
- The flesh is firm, fruity, sweet but also sour
- An incomparable taste experience, not only with pancakes
- Harvest time from late October to November
- Ready for consumption from February to June
- Exceptionally long shelf life, up to summer
- Ideally suited for allergy sufferers
'Pineapple Reinette'
The 'Ananasrenette' from Holland has small to medium-sized fruits with a lemon to golden yellow skin. The juicy and aromatic flesh is yellowish-white, initially rather firm and later crumbly. As a winter apple, the variety bears early and regularly. Harvest time is from mid-October to early November. It is ripe for consumption from November to February.
tip: In order to be able to harvest rich fruit, the apple tree must be regularly thinned out.
'Golden Delicious'
The Golden Delicious is one of the most popular apple varieties. It is medium to large in size with a yellowish skin that is slightly reddish on the sunny side. The flesh, which is also yellowish, is tender and fine-celled, sweet with little acidity and a fennel-like spiciness. Harvest time is from mid to late October. They then reach their full aroma from December and can be stored until February. They are ready to pick from the beginning of September to mid-October and ready to eat from the end of October to March.
tip: Golden Delicious is a good pollen donor but somewhat prone to scab.
'Cox Orange'
It is one of the best dessert apples with a long shelf life and good utilization properties. Its fruits are medium-sized, yellow-skinned, with reddish stripes on the sunny side. They have a yellowish-white, crunchy and juicy flesh with a sweet-aromatic taste.
tip: Cox Orange is a pollen donor for almost every other apple variety.
Apple varieties from F - G
'Finkenwerder Autumn Prince'
This winter apple is well suited for fresh consumption, but is also suitable for making juice. It is medium to large in size, has green skin and is covered with red stripes. Its white flesh is firm and juicy, with a sweet and sour taste. It can then be harvested in October. It is ripe for consumption after a long period of storage, from January to March.
'Florina'
- A very good storage variety
- Is not very susceptible to scab
- Medium-sized, red to purple-skinned apples
- Sweet taste but little aroma
- Flesh is juicy and slightly perfumed
- Fruits ready to pick from early to mid-October
- Ready for consumption from November to January
tip: This apple is very popular as a topping for cakes, but also for making sauce and juice.
'Yellow Schleswiger Reinette'
What is particularly striking is the quince-yellow color of the skin, which appears greasy when fully ripe. The apples are medium-sized and have a round shape. The flesh is medium-firm and juicy with a variety-typical aroma and a good acid-sugar ratio. Harvest time is in October, the ripeness for consumption is reached from November to February.
Varieties from K - T
,Kaiser Willhelm'
This old apple variety forms large round fruits with skins that are initially yellow and then have intense reddish stripes as they ripen. The yellowish-white and juicy flesh has a good flavor with a predominant acidity and a high sugar content. Harvest time is mid-October. The ripeness for consumption is reached from the beginning of December to April.
'Rewena'
- One of the late varieties with medium-sized fruits
- Multi-resistant apple variety
- Popular mainly because of its tart, sour aroma
- Skin initially green and red when ripe
- Flesh is juicy and fine-celled
- Harvest between late September and early October
- Optimum degree of ripeness of the apples from November to February
'Red Boskoop'
The large, yellow, intensely red fruits when fully ripe have a yellowish and juicy flesh with a wine-sour aroma. They only develop their full flavor from mid-December, after storage. It is suitable for fresh consumption as well as for mush and as a baked or baked apple and requires a pollinator variety.
'Topaz'
This variety is characterized by its scab resistance, a pleasant acidity and good storability. Their orange-yellow skin, reddened when ripe, surrounds a firm, yellowish, juicy and aromatic flesh. Depending on the location, they are ripe for picking at the beginning of September or the end of September to the beginning of October. They are then ripe for consumption from November to March.
