A 1909 cross between McIntosh and Jersey Black. Although this isn't a variety that Felix Gillet introduction, this is one of our favorite heirloom eating apples. The grandmother tree thrives here on Heaven and Earth Farm on the site of an historic pear orchard. Like most apples it bears heavily every other year. The skin is a thin crimson red, dusted in a beautiful blue bloom. The flesh is crisp, white and delicious! It makes an excellent pink apple sauce! A great keeper, ripens in October to November at 2400' and keeps well in storage for another couple months. Excellent resistance to fireblight and scab, with moderate codling moth resistance. So good it's still a very popular commercial variety in the East.

The grandmother tree grows at Heaven and Earth Farm, home of the Felix Gillet Institute, near North San Juan on the San Juan Ridge of Nevada County, CA. Heaven and Earth is where we have our Mother Orchards and plant repository and do research on the heirlooms we find in the boonies. We also teach classes, lead tours and much more. This tree was planted in the early 1980s by former owners, who purchased it from Amigo when he ran Peaceful Valley Farm Supply. It was his favorite apple during that time, and still one of the top on a very long list. What a great variety!