Knowledgebase
Can you help identify these apples? #854358
Asked October 30, 2023, 2:55 PM EDT
Alcona County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello Ken,
Do you have harvest dates for these apples? It could help to narrow down which ones they might be. We cannot, however, give you a positive identification. This extension article about apple ID from Iowa State has some good links to fruit databases
There are thousands of varieties of apples currently being grown worldwide, among them older heritage varieties. Apples cannot accurately be identified by appearance because environmental conditions and cultivation methods can alter coloration, size, shape, and flavor. With genetic testing becoming more common, breeders have even found that varieties whose parentage were thought to be known, are actually inaccurate.
While some older sources may purport to identify apples from appearance, this
can really only be an educated guess. It also requires additional information about when it was planted and the history of what cultivars were planted locally, meaning that possible identification is more likely for an established orchard with historical records.
Here is some additional information on genetic testing.
https://ciderchat.com/appleid/
There are labs that will run DAN fingerprinting on samples for a price, including MyFruitTree (Washington State University) and Foundation Plant Services (University of California Davis).