Didn't measure the brix but they weren't as sweet as the 18 brix Golden Delicious of a few weeks back. This is probably too early for GoldRush to be at it's best.

I've read that a ripe Goldrush is on the highest level for apples in terms of brix- equal to Fuji but with much more acid in the balance. I think 18 is more in line of what a ripe Goldrush should attain.

I am surprised t6o hear you guys eating them off the tree. I thought GR needed a bit of storage to balance out?

I prefer my GR fully tree-ripened, they have real zing and some interesting clove flavor. They are also very good out of storage but have a different more mellow profile.

I should go look at my tree, they were getting nearly ripe last I looked. The wasps have been all over them unfortunately.

Scott

A well-ripened Goldrush can be very good off the tree. I suspect that you only need to age them to make them more fit for general consumption (not too flavorful).

18 Sounds real good for an apple. The best I've had from the farmer's market is some 14-16 Jonathans (a bit softer than I remember, but very good flavor). I got some Suncrisps yesterday which measured just under 14. They are much better than the ones I got there (same place as the Jonathans)last year. Maybe the early season allowed them to be riper when he picked...

The only thing I've had at the FM which beats 18 is some European plumbs, which have ranged from 19-23. I picked some Bosc pears (PYO) which were close, in the 15-17 range.

bob:

Thanks for that information. Gives me more of an idea where I stand. Apples and pears are harder to measure than stone fruit. I just tried to measure brix on an Olympic pear and gave up. It was over ripe and soft and I couldn't get any juice.

Fruitnut, I've actually found it easier to measure apples and pears than stonefruit, especially those which aren't drippy (dryish ones give me a squishy smear, instead of drops). With apples and pears, I just cut a small (maybe 4-5mm wide at most) sliver from the calyx (tail) end and squeeze. When I take samples from other parts of the apple, they can be up to 1.5% points lower, so it's important to check the same spot each time for comparison purposes. I'm not sure how the various figures I see quoted online are procured.

I agree that when Goldrush turns gold with a red blush it is best off the tree even though it's a great storage apple- just the acid seems to disappear after a couple of months, although it could just be hidden by the extra starch to sugar conversion. However there's no apples around in March that I consider better than a stored Goldrush.

It can get to the point by mid-winter where it tastes a lot like a Golden Delicious with some extra crunch. It is much denser fleshed than GD. Most Americans aren't accustomed to eating acidic apples so they might not always sell well as they taste off the tree unless they were marketed as an improved Granny Smith. You could call them Grannie's Crunch or Golden Grannie.

I just managed to squeeze three good samples out of a wonderfully crisp Olympic pear. This one didn't have a rotten spot like the one I tried earlier. Brix ran 17-18. That's about as sweet as I'd want in a pear or apple. I just picked the Olympic. Think I picked too soon other years.

I'll test my next Gold Rush. They have turned golden but we don't get a reddish blush here. Is it time for GR to be ripe? I was expecting more like Nov 1.

Here in the northeast apples are ripe earlier than usual this year. That being said the apple was not fully ripe, and we wouldn't have picked it except for the hole. I expect the other 3 (if nothing happens) should be truly ripe in a few more weeks.

I am a huge fan of very acidic apples, and greatly prefer GoldRush right off the tree, before it's had time to "mellow" in storage. The stored apples are much sweeter, though still very nice and crisp. I agree with Harvestman -- they are the best stored apple I've ever had; yet inferior to the explosion of flavor provided by the fresh ones.

But I have encountered few people who share my tastes for so much acid in the apple.

jayco:

I like lots of acid in an apple as well but it has to have enough sweetness to balance it out. The best I've ever grown were Pink Lady in Amarillo, TX. The apple and season length seemed just right to give a super apple about early November. The first bite seemed too tart. But after one apple I wanted another.

Proof that taste is totally subjective. We get Pink Lady here, too (they're from California), but I find them too sweet. Don't get me wrong, they're good and all, but for my taste they need more acid!

jayco:

The store bought Pink Lady don't taste anything like the ones I grew. The store bought are much bigger and aren't as tart or as sweet. I think they are over watered and over fertilized.

Jayco, I've found that fruit fanatics tend to like more acid fruit but I think that America's obsession with fructose saturated soft drinks has moved tastes to lower acid fruit (and American body shapes to a decidedly rounder form). Low acid has been the mantra of much of recent breeding in stone fruit. Many of Zaiger's creations reflect this, and although I expect plums to be mostly sugar Zaiger's peaches and nectarines sometimes leave me flat.

I assume some of the acid in apples is citric and tarter apples are often higher in vitamin C. I don't know if this applies to Goldrush, however.

should have said absorbic acid

ascorbic!

http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_guide_fruit_vitamin_c_apple.htm

Here's a list of a few varieties. Maybe it is the vitamin C that gives apples a lot of their tartness. Apparently it often declines in storage.

I have got to get a Calville Blanc apple tree- their apples have an incredible amount of vitamin C.

Yeah, I'm sure store-bought Pink Lady are nothing like what you grow, Fruitnut. Now you've got me hankering to try a "real" Pink Lady.

I do find the vast majority of commercially grown fruit too sweet, and lacking in much flavor. Luckily we have many small farms still in business in my area, and many who grow good flavorful varieties.

While checking on the Goldrush this morning, I noticed a small crack in one and used it as excuse to pick it. It was a small apple (smallest of the remaining 6), but was far better than the ones I had a few weeks ago and roughly how I remember from the PYO.

I measured in 3 spots:
1.) Top of apple (stem end)- not something I normally do, but it was around 13 brix.
2.) Bottom of apple in a nice golden area- 14.8 brix.
3.) Bottom of apple in a blushed reddish area- 16 brix.

Interestingly, I thought that area #2 tasted best, followed by #1. #3 was sweeter, but didn't have the same lemony kick. I'll keep an eye on that when I pick the others, to see if it continues.

bob:

Nectarines are the one fruit where there are consistent differences in brix in different areas of the fruit. Part of this is that the tip ripens before the stem end. But even after the whole nectarine is soft the tip is maybe 5 points sweeter than the stem area. Your results could just reflect the extent of starch conversion to sugars. Or it could be like the nectarines.

Harvestman:

I think Zaigers low acid nectarines have a lot of flavor. My customers and friends seem to agree. In fact properly water stressed, yellow-fleshed, low-acid nectarines are the best flavored fruit I grow. But they are hard to get right. High brix low acid Arctic Star, a white fleshed nectarine is superb. I've never heard anything but rave reviews on that fruit.

FN, I was thinking more about peaches- White Lady in particular but other low-acid whites as well. This tough fruit year I've actually bought some nectarines, and while store bought are usually good but not great, I got a batch of low-acid ones that were terrible. I realize this has nothing to do with the fruit coming out of your set-up, but you don't ship.

After seeing Fruitnut's brix reading, I got a couple Golden Delicious this weekend at the farmer's market. I just had the first one and it was incredible. It was like Goldrush in intensity, but sweeter. I measured 15 brix at the bottom and just over 18 brix from near the skin in the middle of a large red blush. It had some watercore marbling, with good density and crunch. Next week, I'll ask the orchardist which type (Gibson, Mullins, etc) of GD it is, as I want to grow more apples like that. I would guess Mullins, as one of them has a bit of russet at the stem end.

After I wrote the above paragraph, I decided to eat the 2nd apple. This one was golden and had the slightest hint of a blush in one spot (the first apple had a much larger blush over maybe 1/4 of the apple). This 2nd apple was very ordinary both in flavor and brix. It even seemed less dense. At 13-14 brix (3 measures), it was reasonably good, but nowhere close to the first. Next time, it looks like I'll need to paw through the bin looking for red Golden Delicious... :)

Bob:

Interesting report. I'm one of those who paws through the fruit bin looking for the most colorful fruit. My thinking is the more highly colored fruit was probably better exposed to light and therefore sweeter. Your results would indicate I might be right.

You guys are making me jones for my other 3 GoldRushes.

About the white peaches, I find them generally flavorless. However, when I was a kid there were some people up the street who had two white nectarine trees. The fruit was smallish, with a dark red, almost maroon skin, a hint of pink, and they were amazing.

Wish I would've known to get some wood off those trees.

I just ate a 21.4 brix Gold Rush. It was good but no better than the earlier 18-19 brix Golden Delicious. It does have a harder texture but the GD is just as crisp and has as good flavor. I'd not rate either great but they are very nice eating fruit.

FN, I don't even care for Golden Delicious and in no way compare it to Goldrush here. Here GD is a low acid highly perfumed apple, and GR very high acid without bouquet and it is much denser and crunchier than GD. Much better texture to my tastes.

Sounds like other "tarts" may be better for growing as far south as you as your Goldrush seems a different apple. Sounds like an all sweet given your comparison to GD. How does Granny Smith do where you are?

I have eaten my first Gold rush apple and It's one of the nicest apples I've eaten. Acid with a little sweet! I'm not a fan of store bought Golden Delicious. they allways seem different sometime soft, sometimes crunchy, flavors can be good to bad. I wish I had enough Gold rush to store just to see how long they will last.

harvestman:

GD has some tartness here but Gold Rush really isn't all that tart. I don't remember it being all that tart in Amarillo either. Now Granny Smith is an acid machine. Those things are way too tart for my taste even left on the tree into December. I've heard that they may get enough sweetness by mid winter in CA.

I haven't grown a good Pink Lady here but in Amarillo they were both very tart and very sweet, that good sweet/tart flavor.

John:

I don't know of anyone who likes store bought Golden Delicious. They are usually soft and flavorless. But they are good here for a month or more. Had a customer yesterday ask if I had any left.

Just a point about Golden Delicious. They are one of the best baking apples with excellent flavor and texture in a pie as an example. I do bake my own pies so I know a thing or two about that.

Pink Lady I would like to note takes a few years to develop the flavor. Mine is producing for the second year and the flavor is much improved from last year but still short of a good apple.

I agree with you, I picked my first golden delicious off my tree I planted a year ago and I actually stood there a moment and was surprised at the flavor. I think I tasted a little honey dew melon.

Apple eating for me starts in Oct. and ends in mid-Spring. Tell me what you think of GD by about mid-Dec. I never eat more than a couple of YD in a season and those are off a tree. I don't care for newer strains at all and prefer earlier strains which usually ripen a couple weeks later and have some russet- they tend to be higher brix according to my taste buds. That is based on only trying a couple of the newer strains as I don't grow them in my nursery.

I don't think YD does so well when nature provides the irrigation and is probably a different apple with deficit irrigation.

I find Harvestman's desription of Goldrush very accurate for the GR that I grow here - no confusion with Golden Delicious other than the appearance. I prefer a well ripened (December) Granny Smith which is adequately sweet but more tart than GR with the overall impression of being more flavorful.

Jayco,

I just also picked my first Goldrush. I planted apples for the first time in spring 2010 and I now have a grand total of 3 Goldrushes. This one looked like something had started to eat at it so I picked it while still slightly green with a little red blush, and cut out the bad parts. Hopefully the remaining apples will be able to finish ripenhing without pest damage.

To all forum regulars (experts?):

I had always heard that Goldrush is supposed to ripen in October, but since mine are still a light green I assume they need more time? Regardless, it was very good. Not much sweetness at this stage but nice crisp tartness which I enjoy. I don't know how to measure the brix :(. If I let them stay on the tree another month or two will they get to maximum sweetness? Should I pick them when they turn yellow? What is the advantage of storing them?

Sorry for all the questions, can you tell I'm a newb?

I'm glad to see all the reports on Goldrush! I too planted in the spring of 2010 and had a nice bloom going this spring before 3 nights of low 20 degree knocked the blooms dead...ah the joys of SouthEast Michigan. Next year, God willing....
Thanks for posting everybody.

I just bought a handful of Goldrush apples locally. I was surprised that they were still light green, not yellow and certainly no red blush.

Any chance these will be any good either now or once stored? I haven't tried one yet.

girlbug:

I'd wait to pick still green GR if you can. They will sweeten up if allowed to ripen on the tree. Some seem to need to store them in order to allow excessive tartness to mellow out. But they are ready to eat whenever you like them. Mine have never been tart enough to need storage. But I haven't had many for 20 years. Just a few each year and they aren't that tart here.

We buy a few bushels each year from a local orchard. They come in green, green with yellow blush, green with orange blush, mostly yellow, and yellow with orange blush. To me they are all good, and how sweet or tart they are is not necessarily directly related to size or color. But, I haven't figured out what it is related to! I sort of think each tree is different, and different years produce more or less flavorful apples.

This year our 4 apples were smaller than the ones we buy, and two of them were completely green, the two in the most sun got a hint of reddish blush.

{{gwi:124879}}

You know, it's is a wonderful thing to be able to eat apples that ripen longer on a tree at different stages of it growing life then what we buy at a store. Each year I always leave some apples on each tree to eat as the apple ripens and over ripens. I am amazed on the different flavors that come out of a apple well beyond there description. I really enjoy a apple that just about freezes or the inside looks like it did(can't remember what that's called)? If you haven't try one I highly recommend it.
MD

Forgot to say, regarding HGFzone8's comment re: Golden Delicious being a good baking apple, I am aware that many French pastry chefs prefer GD for baking apple desserts, tarte tatin and the like. I personally always have found them too sweet for this application, but then again I've only ever gotten the bland store-bought GDs, and I almost always find store-bought apple desserts too sweet.

Gold Rush, on the other hand, is also a terrific baking apple! Yes, a terrific eating apple that is great for pies, tarts, etc. It has an excellent cooked flavor and, since it is so dense, holds its shape extremely well and does not get mushy. In fact you have to slice it pretty thin to get it to cook through enough.

Give it a whirl next time you make a pie if you have access (though it's hard not to eat them all raw.)

mjmarco,

I think the term you are looking for is watercore. I don't think it is the result of freezing, but just a very ripe apple. And I agree- they are yummy.

He's a photo of a Orleans Reinette from a high end (pricey- I just get fruit there...) grocery store. It was from Heirloom Orchards and had 15-16 brix and was very good.

I've read that the Japanese are fans of water core apples- they do tend to be the sweetest. Tompkins King has a strong tendency towards this.

But they don't keep as well.

Some water-cored Fujis are about the best grocery store apples I've had.

Seems like Fuji tends to watercore, and I agree, they can be excellent.

bob z6,

thanks for the right name...I had my apples look just like your link of watercore. One year the best for me was the Red D. I always thought it was the frost that made it core...thanks again.
md

My young Goldrush had only one apple that survived the raccoons and squirrels, so I picked it today. It had some red blush, and released from the branch fairly easily. I was disappointed that it had a strong anise flavor--I am not a fan of anise. It had plenty of acid. Last year I picked four apples from this tree, and I do not remember the anise. Does anyone else have this flavor in their Goldrush?

Marc

No anise from Goldrush and I've been growing it for over 20 years. Now Sweet 16 has anise.

Thats one reason I like GoldRush, the best fruits have an anise flavor. Different strokes for different folks and all that. They need to be left on the tree a very long time, and eaten very soon after picking, to get the anise flavor. If you don't like it, let them age for a bit and it will be gone.

Scott

I haven't noticed anise flavor in any yet. But I did have a well-ripened one earlier this week (10/23). It was one of the few apples I didn't bag. There were no bug bites, but it had some skin problems, bordering on ugly. It sized pretty well and tasted great. The brix ranged from 16.3 to 19.7, the highest I've seen this year from my Goldrush by quite a bit (next highest topped out at just under 16, 11 days earlier). There were definately 2 different flavors at work. The darker yellow/gold was sweeter and while interesting, didn't have the strong lemony flavor that the paler part had. Though they were different, I liked both parts quite a bit.

Goldrush is a leading sooty blotch magnet. You can always use a nylon pad and water to pretty them up.

That looks about like my GoldRush. I do the nylon pad on the ones for my family. GoldRush sooty blotch sticks extra hard, I can't get it all off.

The anise flavor is not in every apple and requires a bit more ripening than it looks like that one has - they get more dark yellow. I use the bottom color as the guide, the top color can differ a lot based on the sun. I have been greatly enjoying my GoldRush as of late, what an amazing variety. One of the nice things about it is every apple tastes a bit different. I picked most of them now in preparation for Sandy's visit. The only apple I am hoping will ride it out is Pink Lady.

Scott