the harvest is after Sansa and overlaps Gala. The 

 birds love this variety." 



Upper Yakima Valley: "Zestar! picked a bit early 

 on August 7 to accommodate the Tester's Annual 

 Summer Tour did not impress the tour members for 

 lack of flavor, however, that same fruit was put in 

 storage until December 3 and displayed in the 

 Tester's Annual Meeting 'Show & Tell.' Surpris- 

 ingly, those apple were still frrm, crisp, and very 

 flavorful! It appears to have maturity advance in 

 storage." 



North-central WA, Wenatchee: "Our first look this 

 year: proirusing, better than Sansa." 



Zestar! has been under evaluation at the University of 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Research Center (HRC) in 

 Belchertown since the first trees were planted in 1 996. Over- 

 all, we have been impressed with the horticultural charac- 

 teristics and fruit quality of this variety, particularly at the 

 time of year it ripens and high quality apples are in short 

 supply. Paulared, GingerGold, and Sansa are the only vari- 

 eties currently recommended that ripen during the pre-La- 

 bor Day period that have high quality and are appropriate 

 for both commercial and direct apple markets. 



Zestar! trees, as previously described, are distinctly vig- 

 orous and upright growing, at least during the establishment 

 years. Once fruiting, it should settle down and produce an 

 easily managed tree. Fruit yields have been light to moder- 

 ate at the HRC, however, it's large fruit size should help 

 boost overall production. No particular disease or insect 

 problems have been noted, however, it has been reported 

 Zestar is somewhat fire blight susceptible — not a particular 

 problem here in the Northeast.. 



Zestar! apple's appearance is perhaps one of its weaker 

 characteristics, especially when compared to the more at- 

 tractive Paulared. Red color of Zestar! has been described 

 as blotchy, and a lighter 'pink' shade of red; whereas, 

 Paulared has a very attractive medium-red blush, freckled 

 with prominent white lenticels. 



The flavor of Zestar! is a strong point of this variety. It 

 IS judged to be slightly perfirmy, aromatic, sprightly, and — 

 tiue to Its name — zesty! Compared to Paulared, the flavor is 

 much more complex, with a good sugar:acid ratio. Paulared 

 flavor is so mild that crispness and juiciness are the domi- 

 nant characteristics. 



In 2000 we compared Zestar! and Paulared fmit har- 

 vested on two dates at the HRC to a battery of fruit quality 

 tests and organoleptic and visual evaluations. The results of 

 these evaluations are presented in Tables 1 and 2. 



Overall, Zestar! and Paulared were similar in size and 

 flesh firmness. At six plus ounces in weight, both apples are 

 large — about three inches in diameter Flesh firmness was 

 adequate for an early season apple, and both apples were 

 judged to be crispy on the first harvest date. 



But Zestar! and Paulared differed substantially in red 

 skin color and soluble solids (sugar content). Paulared was 

 the clear winner in red skin color, averaging nearly 2/3 and 

 3/4 of the surface having a red blush on both harvest dates. 

 Zestar! was only about half red, and the color was much 

 'blotchier', somewhat striped, and more pinkish-red in ap- 

 pearance. Paulared skin color looks like a Mcintosh, how- 

 ever, Zestar! 's color is more akin to Honeycrisp or Gala. 

 Zestar! had a much higher sugar content on both harvest 

 dates as indicated by higher soluble solids concentration. 

 Paulared is more Mclntosh-like in tartness; whereas, Zestar! 

 has a much sweeter (better acid:sugar balance) flesh. 



Based on the organoleptic and visual rating (Table 2), 



18 



Fruit Notes, Volume 65, 2000 



