Victory

Origin / History

Victory, designated Minn. No. 396 before its introduction, was developed at the University of Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm. Its parentage is McIntosh, probably open pollinated. It was introduced in 1943. In many respects Victory resembles its McIntosh parent, with the characteristic McIntosh flavor and tender, white flesh.

Tree

The trees are medium in size, hardy, vigorous and very productive. Growth is spreading, forming a broad head. Victory is a vigorous spreading tree, more productive than McIntosh and a little more winterhardy.

Fruit

Size: Medium to large.

Form: Distinctly oblate. A shape a little too flat is a fault of the variety.

Stem: Short and medium-thick.

Cavity: Wide and shallow.

Calyx: Usually closed, with a funnel-shaped tube.

Basin: Wide and medium-shallow.

Skin: Color bright attractive medium-red, except for a greenish star-shaped pattern around the stem. A tendency to green color around the stem is a fault.

Dots: Numerous and large, yellowish with russet centers.

Flesh and flavor: White, fine-grained, tender, juicy and aromatic. Flavor is similar to McIntosh except slightly more acid, and the variety has the characteristic McIntosh flavor. Quality is excellent for fresh or culinary use. The slices retain their fresh white color longer than most varieties.

Core and seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Season of use is October to March. Victory is a longer keeper than McIntosh.

Uses

Quality is excellent for fresh or culinary use. Its somewhat greater acidity contributes to its cooking quality without detracting from its dessert quality. It is especially good for salads, because the slices retain their fresh white color longer than most varieties.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.