Greenup's Pippin

Origin/History

Greenup's Pippin originated near Keswick, raised at the end of the eighteenth century by a shoemaker named Greenup, and was introduced by Messrs. Clarke & Atkinson, of Keswick (Bunyard). By 1885 it had spread widely enough that trees from twenty to thirty years old were scattered through the orchards of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Herefordshire Pomona, writing under the name Yorkshire Beauty, at which time "there is no published account of the origin of this apple" had yet reached that publication). It is an English apple, described by Hogg as popular and highly esteemed (Downing). The 1885 Herefordshire Pomona plates and describes it under the name Yorkshire Beauty.

Tree

Hardy and an abundant bearer (Downing). Growth moderate; fertile (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size

Large. The Herefordshire Pomona gives the dimensions as three and a half inches wide and three inches high. Bunyard gives three and a quarter inches wide by three inches high.

Form

The Herefordshire Pomona describes the fruit as roundish and flattened, with angles on its sides that are often very marked. Bunyard describes it as round-conical and irregular.

Stem

Very short (Herefordshire Pomona, Bunyard).

Cavity

Russety (Herefordshire Pomona). Broad (Bunyard).

Calyx

The Herefordshire Pomona describes the eye as open, with short erect segments. Bunyard describes the eye as closed. These accounts conflict.

Basin

Contracted and angular (Herefordshire Pomona). Deep and ribbed (Bunyard).

Skin

Bright yellow (Herefordshire Pomona) — also described as pale straw color (Downing) and pale yellow (Bunyard) — with a bright red blush (Herefordshire Pomona) or scarlet flush (Bunyard) on the side exposed to the sun. Occasional russet marks (Herefordshire Pomona, Bunyard). Downing notes the coloring as pale straw with bright red next the sun, without mentioning russet.

Flesh/Flavor

Flesh tender and juicy (Herefordshire Pomona, Downing, Bunyard). Color pale yellowish white (Downing) or yellow (Bunyard). Flavor described as having an agreeable acidity (Herefordshire Pomona) and as sub-acid (Bunyard); Downing describes the flesh as sweet and brisk. There is some disagreement among sources on the balance of sweetness and acidity.

Core/Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

Herefordshire Pomona places the season from the end of August through September to the beginning of October. Bunyard gives September to December. Downing gives October to December. Sources thus agree this is an autumn-into-winter variety but differ on when it begins — the Herefordshire Pomona's earlier start date and shorter window may reflect local Herefordshire conditions or the fruit being taken for market use before full maturity.

Uses

A first-rate culinary apple (Herefordshire Pomona, Bunyard). Its great size, fine quality, and beauty made it a favourite fruit in market during its season (Herefordshire Pomona). At the Apple Exhibition of the Woolhope Club, held October 10th, 1878, it was the most beautiful culinary variety exhibited (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing's description of the flesh as sweet and brisk may suggest some dessert use, but the other sources are consistent in treating this as a culinary variety.

Other

The Herefordshire Pomona notes it follows the early Codlins and Lord Suffield apple in season sequence. The 1885 Herefordshire Pomona Plate XX depicts this variety.