Hannah

Origin / History

Called American by Elliott; Downing gives origin unknown. Warder, whose heading line reads "Haunt's, not AUNT HANNAH of Massachusetts," separates it from the Aunt Hannah of Massachusetts. Warder calls it a "large and rather handsome fruit," found in many parts of the country but not largely cultivated. Its occurrence among Southern emigrants "would lead us to suspect that they might have brought it with them."

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Medium to large. Warder alone calls it large; Elliott gives medium, Downing medium to large.

Form: Round, somewhat flattened, regular, sometimes unequal; showy (Warder). Downing gives roundish, Elliott conical.

Stem: Short or very short.

Cavity: Wide, wavy, acute, deep, brown or green.

Calyx: Eye medium but long, closed.

Basin: Medium, abrupt, regular, often slightly russeted.

Skin: Rather smooth. Pale yellow, mixed with stripes and splashes of red: dull red (Elliott, Downing), distinctly striped and splashed crimson and carmine (Warder).

Dots: Scattered, large, gray (Warder).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, light yellowish white (Warder); breaking, tender, juicy (Warder); coarse (Downing); dry (Elliott). Flavor subacid, aromatic, peculiar, "not agreeable to some palates" (Warder). Quality "only good" (Warder); "Hardly good" (Downing).

Core and seeds: Core round, flattened or wide, regular, open. Axis very short. Seeds numerous, short, plump.

Season

October to December. Elliott and Downing give October, November; Warder extends it through December.

Uses

Kitchen, market, drying (Warder). Downing says "Cooking only."

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.