Winter Cheese
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Winter Cheese
Origin / History
American (Elliott). Thomas calls it one of the most highly esteemed early winter apples of southern Virginia, closely resembling the Fall Cheese.
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Oblate.
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Greenish, green in the shade, red in the sun; Elliott describes the sun side as with stripes of dull brownish red.
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Very crisp, very tender and delicate, sprightly, of a fine, pleasant flavor (Thomas). Elliott calls the flesh "mealy" and the quality "poor." Thomas says it becomes mealy and insipid after maturity.
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Early winter (Thomas); December, January (Elliott). A longer keeper than the Fall Cheese (Thomas).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Winter Cheese. American. Medium, greenish, with stripes of dull brownish red in sun, mealy, poor. December, January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Winter Cheese. (Green Cheese.) Medium in size, oblate; green in the shade, red in the sun; flesh very crisp, very tender and delicate, sprightly, and of a fine, pleasant flavor. One of the most highly esteemed early winter apples of southern Virginia, closely resembling the Fall Cheese, but a longer keeper. Becomes mealy and insipid after maturity.