New August-ripening Apple Cultivars 

 That Are Alternatives to Paulared 



Duane W. Greene and Wesley R. Autio 



Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts 



Paulared is the most extensively planted apple 

 cultivar that ripens in late August. It is large, at- 

 tractive, and red, and at its very best, it is good. 

 Under many circumstances, however, it has only 

 fair quality. Recently, several new apple cultivars 

 have been named and released that ripen at a simi- 

 lar time to Paulared. The purpose of this article is 

 to present these as potential alternatives in the pre- 

 Mclntosh season. 



Evaluations were done on fruit that were from 

 trees three to six years old. Evaluations were con- 

 ducted for three seasons. Within each season, ten 

 fruit were harvested from each cultivar at weekly 

 intervals for up to five weeks. At each harvest, flesh 

 firmness, percent red color, circumference, weight, 

 soluble solids, and starch degradation were mea- 

 sured. Also, fruit were evaluated for visual and 

 sensory characteristics. In 1994, some fruit were 

 harvested when the starch rating was four to five 

 and placed in regular storage for periodic 

 postharvest evaluation. Tables 1-6 summarize fruit 

 characteristics and storage results. 



Paulared 



Paulared is the first apple of the season to be 

 harvested in significant volume in New England. 

 It is large, blush red, and very attractive, and it is 

 probably the first good apple available that has the 

 potential to maintain good condition for more than 

 several days on grocery shelves. It is slightly tart 

 and it has no better than good flavor. Unlike many 

 other cultivars, keeping Paulared apples on the tree 

 until they reach full maturity does not improve their 

 flavor. Therefore, Paulared frequently is harvested 

 when it reaches an acceptable level of red color. It 

 has a moderately good storage life, but because qual- 

 ity is inferior to Jonamac or Mcintosh, Paulared 

 fruit remaining in storage after the start of Jonamac 

 or Mcintosh harvest is a liability. 



Ginger Gold 



Ginger Gold is the first and best, early yellow 

 apple. It can be harvested green in Paulared sea- 



fruit Notes, Winter, 1996 



1 1 



