Sweet Russet

Origin/History

Origin unknown. The primary variety under this name was at one time disseminated by Parsons and Company, Flushing, New York. Warder notes that S.B. Parsons of Flushing, Long Island, considers it the best baking apple. Downing characterizes it as "a nice Little Apple."

Multiple distinct varieties have been cultivated under the name Sweet Russet. In addition to the primary (Parsons) variety, Downing describes a second variety grown in Massachusetts, New York, and elsewhere, and a third from Kentucky. Beach (Vol. 2) also notes that the name Sweet Russet has been applied to the variety described as Pumpkin Russet.

Tree

Tree large, spreading and drooping, a moderately vigorous grower, hardy, long-lived, and usually a reliable cropper yielding good crops biennially (Beach Vol. 2). Downing describes the tree as moderately vigorous and productive. Young wood reddish olive (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Warder describes the fruit as medium; Downing and Beach (Vol. 2) describe it as small.

Form: Roundish, inclining to conic, sometimes oblate (Downing). Warder describes it as conical, uneven. Beach (Vol. 2) describes it as roundish or oblate.

Skin: Yellow, mostly covered with light russet, and sprinkled with brown russet dots, with a tinge of red in the sun (Downing). Warder describes the surface as yellow with thin russet, with numerous, small, prominent dots. Beach (Vol. 2) describes it as yellow, mostly covered with light russet tinged with red in the sun.

Stem: Downing describes the stalk as slender; Warder describes the stem as short.

Cavity: Wide, wavy (Warder). Not described in other sources.

Calyx: Closed (Downing). Warder describes the eye as small, closed.

Basin: Shallow, folded (Warder). Not described in other sources.

Flesh: Whitish, crisp, very tender, juicy, rich, sweet, aromatic (Downing). Warder describes the flesh as yellow, tender, fine-grained, juicy, with sweet flavor. Beach (Vol. 2) describes it as juicy and sweet.

Core/Seeds: Core oval, open, clasping the eye; seeds plump (Warder). Not described in other sources.

Quality: Very good (Downing, Beach Vol. 2). Warder rates it good to very good.

Season

Warder gives the season as August. Downing gives September. Beach (Vol. 2) gives September and October.

Uses

Warder describes it as a baking apple, noting that S.B. Parsons considers it the best baking apple.

Subtypes/Variants

Second Sweet Russet (Massachusetts/New York): Downing describes another Sweet Russet grown in Massachusetts, New York, and elsewhere. Tree an upright, spreading grower, productive. Good for cooking. Fruit medium, oblate, yellow, mostly covered with nettings and patches of russet. Flesh whitish, half tender, rich, sweet. Good. November to March. Beach (Vol. 1) identifies this as the variety described by Downing and notes it was a good apple for culinary use, in season from November to March. Beach states: "We do not know this variety and we have no report of its being grown anywhere in New York at the present time."

Third Sweet Russet (Kentucky): Downing attributes to Warder a Kentucky variety: fruit small, conical, truncated, rough, dark russet. Dots minute, white, prominent. Flesh yellowish white, fine-grained, not tender, sweet. Scarcely good. December to February.

Pumpkin Russet: Beach (Vol. 2) notes that the name Sweet Russet has also been applied to the variety described as Pumpkin Russet.

Other

Not described in source.