The apple is probably the most consumed fruit in the United States, as it has thousands of varieties—some ancient, local, or hybrids—allowing people to taste different kinds of apples. Each variety has its own character, smell, texture, and flavor, offering a range of pleasures. In addition to taste, growing traits include ripening time, productivity, disease resistance, and hardiness—not to mention color, which is important because it catches the eye and hints at the fruit’s delicacy. Some swear by yellow or green apples, while others prefer the shine of beautiful red apples. If you are one of them, discover our selection of red apples.
Table of Contents
Royal Gala apples, the most famous red apples of all
The Royal Gala is the second most consumed variety of apple in France, after the Golden Delicious. And it is hard not to notice it since its red skin is highly distinguishable. This apple, which is of medium size, has a skin that is very red in color and at times turns orange. It is marked with vertical streaks of stripes.
The flesh of the apple is more finely textured and fragrant, yellow in color. It is also more sweet than tart. This apple is extremely firm, juicy, and crunchy. It is naturally delicious; however, it can be used for making tarts, compotes, or stir-fries. The Royal Gala can also be paired with savory recipes.
The Royal Gala variety grows with great vigor and bears fruit quickly. It produces a semi-erect tree that can grow up to 4 meters wide and tall.
They bloom with white flowers during April and produce harvest from the beginning of September to October.
Royal Gala is not self-fertile and certainly needs to be pollinated with an appropriate type, such as Reine des Reinettes, Elstar, or Granny Smith.As highlighted by the University of Missouri, many fruit tree varieties, including apples, rely on cross-pollination for successful fruiting. Understanding these pollination requirements is essential for ensuring a productive harvest.
This apple, which is of medium size, has a skin that is very red in color and at times turns orange. If you’re also interested in smaller, highly ornamental fruit trees, crabapple trees make an excellent choice for home gardens.
Starking Delicious is an extremely crisp red apple.
The Starking Delicious is one of the most easily recognized of the red apples. One of the main features of this apple tree is its ability to produce medium, cane-sugar-long fruit that has very shiny, carmine-dark red skin throughout, spotted with small white dots.
This apple was developed in the US in the 1920s from Delicious and mutated into various other forms but remains popular in the country.
The flesh is exceptionally crisp and firm; the juicy white flesh creates elaborate desserts, sweeter than tart. It is one hundred percent an authentic dessert apple.
Plant Transplanting Growing and Harvesting
The Starking Delicious variety is a vigorous and productive variety that produces fruits quickly. Although being sensitive to scab and woolly aphid attacks, it tends towards alternate bearing.
Flowering takes place by the end of April, with harvesting from late September to October. Starking Delicious can be stored for three months, becoming floury towards the end of storage.
Starking Delicious cannot self-pollinate; therefore, one needs to plant it nearby with Reine des Reinettes and Golden Delicious to ensure proper fruiting.
Reinette Etoilée is an old, very fragrant variety.
Reinette Etoilée is an old variety widely cultivated in Northern France or Wallonia; it is also known in those regions as Sterrenette or Sterappel. It is a vigorous and productive variety with late pinkish-white flowers and arrives to fruits later.
It forms round fruits with smooth and shiny skin of carmine red color sprinkled with white to gray spots, which look like little stars.
The flesh of the apple is white to pink in color, firm and crunchy, and will become floury with time. It is juicy and incredibly sweet; it is a great eating apple for pies, preserves, stir-fries, and even savory dishes.
Planting, growing, and harvesting
This variety blooms late in the spring and is rather slow to set fruit, somewhat susceptible to scab but resistant to fire blight.
This apple variety, which produces red apples, has a very erect type with sparse branching., giving it a very upright shape. It can become 5 m high and 4 m wide.
The blooming takes place between April and the beginning of May, while the harvesting season is spread from September to November. The apples can be stored up until January.
This variety has a long flowering time; hence, it needs to be planted with late-blooming varieties such as Elstar or Cox’s Orange Pippin.
Melrose has a pinkish-red skin, with the flesh white/yellowish.
The Melrose apples tend to be rounded and slightly flattened, with a very bright pinkish-red exterior and a yellowish background, with extremely good taste perfume, and have creamy white flesh, juicy and sweet, not very sharply acid.
It was developed in the United States in 1937 as a hybrid derived from crossing Red Delicious (which readily distinguishes itself with an intense red color) with Jonathan (an older breed, allowed into the catalogue; it has russet-colored fruits abundantly bruised on the sunny side).
It is mainly an eating apple, but cooking will still leave it tasty.
Essentially, planting, growing, and harvesting
It is a vigorous, productive variety with a fast productiveness; it is scab-resistant.
Has a tall, upright shape; the length of the branch can reach up to 6 m and a spread of 3 m.
The flowering of Melrose is in white from late April; harvesting takes place in October, although the fruit can easily be preserved until April.
Not self-fertile, it requires a pollinator such as Golden Delicious, which flowers a few days afterward.
Pekacervenca, blood apple all aglow
Pekacervenca is a blood apple variety with an enormous fruit set. The skin color ranges from dark red to deep red, while the flesh is crunchy, moderately juicy, and not sweet. It is very acidic when harvested, but acidity mellows after a while.
This is a nice apple to bite into for anyone who prefers tartness versus sweetness. A good apple for cooking, as it gives its signature color to stews, compotes, and tarts.
planting, growing, and harvesting
It holds fast to being a fairly new blood apple tree, quite vigorous, productive, and scab-resistant. Sure to set fruit rather quickly.
Its growth habit is somewhat spreading, making it possible to grow it as a low-stem or train upon a trellis. Generally, its height does not exceed 4 m (13 ft), and its width is under 3.50 m (11.5 ft).
They have pink flowers at the end of April and are very ornamental and melliferous. The ripened fruit is harvested October-November.
This variety of apples is self-sterile, which means it requires a pollinator among Cox’s Orange Pippin, Elstar, or Golden Delicious.
There is another variety with blood-red apples, Maggy. It is noteworthy because its flesh is red-veined with white, sweet, and tangy, with a rich flavor, fine texture, and crunchy bite.
In addition to taste, growing traits include ripening time, productivity, disease resistance, and hardiness. If you are considering growing your own apple trees, understanding the proper techniques for planting fruit trees is essential.
Conclusion
Each variety of red apples contains its distinctive qualities ranging from texture and flavor to coloration. Different people will always have a specific apple selection that they prefer whether it is Royal Gala with its crisp sweetness, Starking Delicious with its deep red shiny skin, or Reinette Étoilée with its rich fragrance. Each apple can be enjoyed fresh or during cooking and baking, bringing out their savory and sweet depth. If you are planning to grow apple trees, be sure to note that many species will need cross pollination in order to flourish. By selecting and caring for the apple trees the right way, one can make sure to have a lovely and fruitful apple yield in the garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the sweetest red apple variety?
Royal Gala is one of the sweetest red apples, known for its crisp texture and honey-like flavor.
Which red apples are best for baking?
Melrose and Reinette Étoilée are excellent red apples for baking, as their firm texture holds up well in pies and tarts.
Do all red apples need a pollinator?
Most red apples, including Royal Gala and Starking Delicious, require cross-pollination with compatible apple trees to produce fruit.
Which red apples store the longest?
Melrose red apples can be stored for several months, often lasting until April when kept in proper conditions.
Are red apples more nutritious than green apples?
Both red apples and green apples are rich in fiber and vitamins, but red apples tend to have more antioxidants due to their higher anthocyanin content.