Russet apples are varieties and cultivars of apples that regularly exhibit russeting, partial or complete coverage with rough patches of greenish-brown to yellowish-brown colour. While russeting is generally an undesirable trait in modern cultivars, russet varieties are often seen as more traditional, and associated with aromatic flavours.
Many apple cultivars have some natural russeting, but some are almost entirely covered in it, notably the Egremont Russet. Russet apples often exhibit a scent and flavour reminiscent of nuts, and are often very sweet. Despite this, modern apple breeders rarely accept russeting in new apple cultivars. The amount of russeting can be affected by various factors including, weather, disease or pest damage and agrochemical applications (e.g. insecticides, fungicides and growth regulators).
Russet apples also go under the name "rusticoat", "russeting" and "leathercoat". The name "leathercoat" was known in Shakespeare's time; for instance, in Henry IV, part 2 , Davy says to Bardolph, "there's a dish of leathercoats for you".
Cox's Orange Pippin, in Britain often referred to simply as Cox, is an apple cultivar first grown in 1825, at Colnbrook in Buckinghamshire, England, by the retired brewer and horticulturist Richard Cox. Though the parentage of the cultivar is unknown, Ribston Pippin seems a likely candidate. DNA analysis of major apple pedigrees has suggested Margil as the parent of Cox, with Ribston Pippin being another Margil seedling. The variety was introduced for sale by the 1850s by Charles Turner, and grown commercially from the 1860s, particularly in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire, and later in Kent. A paper by Howard et al seems to suggest that the Cox Orange Pippin is a hybrid between the Cultivars: Rosemary Russet and Margil based on the SNP data 7
The Egremont Russet is a cultivar of dessert apple, of the russet type. It has a rich, nutty flavour and crisp, firm and fairly juicy flesh.
A cooking apple or culinary apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking, as opposed to a dessert apple, which is eaten raw. Cooking apples are generally larger, and can be tarter than dessert varieties. Some varieties have a firm flesh that does not break down much when cooked. Culinary varieties with a high acid content produce froth when cooked, which is desirable for some recipes. Britain grows a large range of apples specifically for cooking. Worldwide, dual-purpose varieties are more widely grown.
Reinette, often Rennet in English, and popular in Italian and Portuguese cuisines as Renetta and Reineta respectively, is the name of a number of apple cultivars.
'Ribston Pippin' is a triploid cultivar of apples, also known by other names including 'Essex Pippin', 'Beautiful Pippin', 'Formosa', 'Glory of York', 'Ribstone', 'Rockhill's Russet', 'Travers', and 'Travers's Reinette'.
A pearmain, also formerly spelled "permain", is a type of apple. The name may once have been applied to a particular variety of apple that kept well, although in more modern times its inclusion in varietal names was, like the term 'Pippin', "largely decoration" rather than indicating any shared qualities.
Claygate Pearmain is an apple cultivar. It was found at Claygate, Surrey in England and brought to the attention of the Royal Horticultural Society by John Braddick in 1821. The apple was a popular eating apple in Victorian times and spread through England and to America.
The Newtown Pippin, also known as Albemarle Pippin, is an American apple that originated in the late 17th or early 18th century and is still cultivated on a small scale. At one time, there were two very similar apple cultivars known as the 'Yellow Newtown' and 'Green Newtown', one of which perhaps originated as a sport of the other.
'Adams Pearmain', also called 'Adam's Parmane', is a cultivar of apple. It was introduced to the Horticultural Society of London in 1826 by Robert Adams, under the name 'Norfolk Pippin'. The fruit is large, varying from two and a half inches to three inches high, and about the same in breadth at the widest part. It is pearmain-shaped, very even, and regularly formed. The skin is pale yellow tinged with green, and covered with delicate russet on the shaded side; but deep yellow tinged with red, and delicately streaked with livelier red on the side facing the sun. The flesh is reddish, crisp, juicy, rich, and sugary, with an agreeable and pleasantly perfumed flavor. This Cultivar is a sibling of Reinette de Hollande, a hybrid between Reinette Franche’ and ‘Reinette des Carmes. (5)
Table apples are a group of apple cultivars grown for eating raw as opposed to cooking or cidermaking. Table apples are usually sweet and the most prized exhibit particular aroma variations that differentiate them from other apples. D = Dual purpose
'Discovery' is an early season dessert apple cultivar. One of its parents was the 'Worcester Pearmain', with the pollinator 'Beauty of Bath'.
The 'Sunset' is an apple cultivar derived from the Cox's Orange Pippin cultivar. Both are found in Great Britain. The fruit has red stripes and an orange flush over a gold background. Usually, part of the apple is red while part of it is yellow. It is similar to 'Cox's Orange Pippin' in that it displays some russetting. The 'Pixie' apple is a distant descendant.
'Akane', also known as 'Tokyo Rose', 'Tohoku No.3' and 'Prime Red', is a Japanese cultivar of domesticated apple, that according to Orange Pippin is one of the best early season apples.
'Worcester Pearmain' is an early season English cultivar of domesticated apple, that was developed in Worcester, England, by a Mr. Hale of Swanpool in 1874. It was once the most popular cultivar in England for early autumn harvest and is still popular to keep in the garden. It has been extensively used in apple breeding.
'Allington Pippin' is an English cultivar of domesticated apple, with a strong flavour that includes hints of pineapple.
King of the Pippins or Reine des Reinettes (French), Goldparmäne, Wintergoldparmäne german is an old cultivar of domesticated apple originating from France, and is still used in its original form as well as in many derivative cultivars that have been bred from it. It was also formerly known as Golden Winter Pearmain, because of its ripening period at late fall.
Fiesta is a modern cultivar of domesticated apple which is often marketed as Red Pippin. It was developed in the United Kingdom by breeders at the East Malling Research Station, combining the Cox's Orange Pippin with the Idared apple. According to the Orange Pippin website, it is one of the best Cox's style apples, but much easier to grow having good disease resistance.
Golden Russet is an old American cultivar of domesticated apple which is excellent for fresh eating as well as for apple cider production. It is a russet apple and is therefore especially used as a cider apple. It is sometimes known as 'English Golden Russet', and has frequently been confused with 'English Russet'.
Reinette du Canada or Canada Reinette is an old cultivar of domesticated apple of unknown origin grown in Europe under various names and listed in France as a Canadian apple at least as early as 1771. It is a reinette type of golden apple, with much russeting, which keeps shape in cooking and is mainly used for that purpose especially in apple strudel.
'Clarke Pearmain', also called 'Golden Pearmain', 'Glouster Pearmain, 'Yellow Pearmain', and possibly the same as 'Columbian Russet', is a medium-sized apple cultivar. It was grown at Monticello by Thomas Jefferson.