Identify an apple - Ask Extension
I was wondering if could some help identify this apple. It just ripened, maroon skin and bright white inside and red stain bleeds into the white. Medi...
Knowledgebase
Identify an apple #675723
Asked September 29, 2020, 5:59 PM EDT
I was wondering if could some help identify this apple. It just ripened, maroon skin and bright white inside and red stain bleeds into the white. Medium sized apple, tree is at least 20 years old, full size tree.
Olmsted County Minnesota
Expert Response
Good morning Jay,
I'm going to point you to some resources. Identifying apples positively can be very difficult and these resources will help you narrow down the varieties. I apologize for not being able to give you a positive ID immediately, there are roughly 2,500 varieties of apple that grow in the US!
From Dr. Jim Luby, U of MN faculty
We can not positively identify a cultivar visually though we can sometimes make a guess. The history of the plant is very important and unfortunately, people often don't know it. However, you can read about the plant especially if they know it's a University release and narrow down your fruit ID to 2-3 cultivars based on size, color, fruiting time. etc. Here are some resources to help:
VIDEO: How to Identify Your Apple Tree https://youtu.be/1xFw1YmIu-E
U of M varietal releases: http://mnhardy.umn.edu/varieties/fruit/apples/all-apple-varieties
Extension Yard & Garden Fruits: https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/fruit
Also, here is a nice discussion about identifying apple varieties. Though it is written about English varieties, all the principles are universal.
http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/apple55.html
If you want to pursue more conclusive testing, UC-Davis will accept samples for DNA fingerprinting. The cost is $345 per sample.
http://fpms.ucdavis.edu/IDTesting.html