Red Winter Sweet
AppleRed Winter Sweet
Origin/History
Origin unknown. Specimens recorded from Kentucky, though the fruit is there stated to have come from Virginia or Maryland. Thomas (1903) likewise places it in Virginia and Kentucky.
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Roundish conic (Downing); roundish (Thomas).
Stem: Short.
Cavity: Small.
Calyx: Small, closed.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Deep crimson over yellow ground, with indistinct splashes and stripes and large and small light dots (Downing). Thomas describes the color more briefly as striped deep red.
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh yellow (Downing; not mentioned by Thomas), a little coarse, rich, and honeyed sweet (Downing); Thomas concurs on coarse texture, richness, and rates it very sweet.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
December through February (Downing). Thomas places it in early winter, consistent with Downing's range.
Uses
Fine for cooking (Downing).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois, Missouri
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Mountain Grove Nurseries (Tippin & Moore , Proprietors; Geo. T. Tippin, J. W. Tippin, J. C. Moore), Mountain Grove , Missouri — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Red Winter Sweet. Origin unknown. Specimens from Kentucky, although the fruit is there stated to have come from Virginia or Maryland. Fruit medium, roundish conic, deep crimson on yellow, with indistinct splashes and stripes, large and small light dots. Stalk short. Cavity small. Calyx small, closed. Flesh yellow, a little coarse, rich, honeyed sweet. Fine for cooking. December, February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Red Winter Sweet. Medium, roundish, striped deep red; coarse, rich, very sweet. Early winter. Va. and Ky.