Early Season Apples

There are a number of delicious varieties that mature early in the season. Fresh and crunchy when picked ripe. But they usually have a short storage life...

Late Jan - Early Feb

	Beauty of Bath (UK) A red flushed apple, small to medium in size. It has a distinctive, acidic taste, although when fully ripe it is sweet and fragrant. The flesh is often stained pink. This apple variety arose in a market garden in Bailbrook, near Bath, England in 1864. Having a short maturity season, it should be eaten immediately after picking.
	Summer Strawberry (Sth Aust) A red striped apple, small to medium in size. Flesh is crisp and sweet tasting. This variety originated in South Australia in the late 1800`s.
	Lodi (USA) A delightful early apple with a thin, light green skin and pale cream flesh. Medium to large in size with flesh that is sub-acid. It was propagated in 1911 in New York State, being a cross between the Montgomery and White Transparent. First introduced into Australia in 1924. An early maturing variety which is lovely to eat fresh or can be used in cooking for apple pies and apple sauce, producing a very white, juicy and sweet apple puree.
	Red Free (Can)
	Tydeman's Early (Kent, UK) This apple is bright crimson in colour with a good, rich flavour. It is medium in size. When fully ripe it is still crisp and juicy and scented with a strawberry flavour from its Worcester parent. It was propagated by Mr Tydeman in 1929 in Kent, England being a cross between the Worcester Pearmain and McIntosh. For a time, it was an early commercial variety in western Canada and France.
	Summer Red (Can)
	Gravenstein (Ger) A wonderful aromatic, crisp, yet juicy early apple. Usually quite large in size with a green red striped skin or full red colour and a white flesh. The Gravenstein originated in southern Denmark/ northern Germany before 1670, having some Italian parentage. Was taken to the New World in 1790. A good apple for eating fresh but also popular for baked apples and apple sauce; turns very fluffy when cooked. Good for juicing.
	Abas (Vic) Medium in size, with red and green striped skin. It is moderately crisp and sweet. A high quality, early season Australian apple, propagated in Victoria, in 1940. It is just perfect to eat early in the season.

Mid - Late Feb

	Earligold (Washington State, USA) The earliest maturing Golden Delicious type apple. It has a thin smooth skin, yellowish-green in colour. The flesh is very white and has a fine flavour, slightly sharp. It is medium in size. Introduced into Australia in recent years from the USA but considered to have originated in Poland, as the Papierowski apple. Excellent for apple sauce and dried apple.
	Ginger Gold (Virginia, USA) A beautiful apple with a yellowish-green skin, conical in shape and medium in size. The creamy flesh is very juicy, crisp and full of flavour. It can be picked a little green but will turn an attractive yellow with blush if allowed to hang on the tree. One of the early season Golden Delicious type apples, originating in Virginia, USA, in 1980. Ginger Gold is an excellent multi-purpose apple. As well as being a delightful fresh eating apple, it is also good when served with salads, when used for baking, pie making and for apple sauce.
	James Grieve (Scot) A round conical apple with skin that is flushed and striped. It is medium-sized with a savoury taste. Flesh is melting and juicy yet crisp, with strong acidity. A Scottish apple propagated in Edinburgh during the late 19^th century by James Grieve. Good for fresh eating and for baking.
	Royal Gala (NZ) This well known apple has a stripy red skin on yellow background. Its creamy-white flesh is firm, crisp, juicy and finely textured with a rich, honeyed flavour. Very juicy when ripe, reflecting the perfumed quality of one parent, the Kidd`s Orange Red. First raised in 1934 in Greytown, New Zealand, with the other parent being the Golden Delicious.When Queen Elizabeth was given a presentation box of these apples, she was very impressed and requested more. It gained further royal approval from the Queen of the Netherlands and is now widely grown internationally. The Royal Gala can be well used in salads, apple juice and used in cooking.
	Galaxy (NZ)