What is this apple?

[ammi]

Hi
I am trying to find out more about a particular kind of apple with hope of eventually getting one.
I last saw it years ago when as a child I used to pass an orchard on the way back from swimming and the kind owner used to let us get some to take home. The apple was green skinned with a very bright pink flesh that tasted very sweet and a little like plums. The tree was quite a large one and was the only one of its sort in the whole area but was surrounded by lots of other fruit trees including apples, plums and cherries (dont know if this is relevant).
I used to love this apple the best, so I would collect quite a few at a time and they lasted quite well.
I would love to know the type of the apple and any of its needs so that I can work out if I should/can get one for my garden. Any help would be great.
Thanks

[sarraceniac]

Pink Lady? Pink Pearl? Actually there are about 30 pink fleshed apples and 29 of them are very sweet so without further info it is very difficult. FB may have some ideas based on locality but Yorkshire actually has 3 USDA equiv. zones and uncountable soil types so he would also be guessing.

[ladylottie]

Stating the obvious, and you've probably already done this, but is it worth going round there again? (or perhaps you have and the tree has gone). If the owners are still there they might be able to tell you what it is/was.
But I can't help you with the variety, sorry - I don't think I've ever even seen a pink fleshed apple. And I wouldn't think of Pink Lady as having pink flesh actually.

FB is the one on here who is most likely to help you.

[sarraceniac]

I wouldn't think of Pink Lady as having pink flesh actually.

FB is the one on here who is most likely to help you.

The apple marketing people say the flesh has 'a pink blush'. Never having knowingly met one I'm not sure what that means.

Whilst FB is definitely yer man for apples, I doubt if he can positively identify this one, but may have some suggestions.

[ammi]

Stating the obvious, and you've probably already done this, but is it worth going round there again? (or perhaps you have and the tree has gone). If the owners are still there they might be able to tell you what it is/was.
But I can't help you with the variety, sorry - I don't think I've ever even seen a pink fleshed apple. And I wouldn't think of Pink Lady as having pink flesh actually.

FB is the one on here who is most likely to help you.

The tree was in derbyshire and I live to far away to go and visit now. Also the couple who owned the tree were quite old and its about 25 years since and I doubt they would remember me even if they were still there.
The flesh of the apple was very dark pink and not realy just blush and it tasted more like a plum than an apple I will try to get hold of some of the types mentioned so that I can try them but if not then will continue searching.
Thanks all

[Polly Fouracre]

I would get in touch with an experienced apple grower and ask their advice.

[ladylottie]

I've just done a google search on red-fleshed apples and come up with this -

red-fleshed apples, red-juiced,DIVERSITY WEBSITE

Do any of these look like the apple you remember?

[FB.]

An old apple, suitable for Yorkshire, with green skin and red flesh.

Sorry, but you've got me there - I'm not an expert on the rare, regional varieties.

R.V.Roger are a major nursery in Yorkshire. If they don't know what it might be, I doubt anyone will!
> Link here <

Was it definitely an apple? Not many apples have red flesh.

It's possible that the tree was a rare variety, or that it was a "one-off" tree grown from seed.

The variety "Worcester Pearmain" is the closest that I can think of, all things considered. But I doubt that the answer is so easy.
The reasons why it comes to mind:
Tolerates long, cold winters fairly well.
Reliable crops.
Reasonably disease-resistant.
Reasonably frost-resistant at blossom time.
Self-fertile.
Attractive (but slightly unusual-looking) blossom.
Attractive fruit.

The fruit features:
Worcesters have green skin which becomes progressively an intense red as they ripen.
They can have a hint of red just under the skin, sometimes with streaks of pink-red down to the core.
When properly ripe, Worcesters can be very sweet, with a hint of strawberry. The "shelf life" is not long - only a few weeks.
Worcesters are in season from late August to early October, depending on the warmth of the growing season.
Unfortunately, Worcester's demise in commercial orchards was because of the rush to be the first to get a crop to market to get the best price.
The Worcesters were picked unripe and failed to develop sweetness or flavour.
Consumers rejected sharp, tasteless, green apples (they should be sweet, strawberry and mostly bright red) - and these poor quality fruits could not be kept long enough to try to ripen at home.
This remains a fault with the few Worcesters that you still find in the shops.

[ammi]

I've just done a google search on red-fleshed apples and come up with this -

red-fleshed apples, red-juiced,DIVERSITY WEBSITE

Do any of these look like the apple you remember?

Yes The top apple is almost exactly like the one I remember. Thanks for this as I have been trying to find out about it for years.
I hope that I can get hold of a tree now.

[ammi]

I wonder if the green skin was because it wasnt ripe.

[FB.]

Worcester Pearmain is the mother of Discovery (bred about 60 years ago)
Discovery is the mother of Red Devil (bred about 30 years ago)
Worcester Pearmain is about 130 years old.

There is a family tendency in these apples for red, strawberry-tasting flesh under the skin.
It varies between different growing seasons.
Generally speaking, the best red colour (and best flavour) is obtained from long, hot, sunny summers.

Worcester Pearmain produces a lot of fruits at the tips of branches, which would put more of the fruit in direct sunlight.

[FB.]

Here's a picture of the red flesh on one of my "Discovery" apples from last August.
The fruit was picked about a week too early, due to heavy losses to wasps and earwigs.
In a good year, there would be much more red colouration of the flesh.