The apple orchard begins to delight the eye from the first warm days of spring. Emitting an unusual aroma, the apple tree glows with white and pink flowers, promising a rich harvest. Scientists count at least 10 thousand varieties. There are both early apples that ripen in the summer, and late ones that have the ability to persist until the beginning of the next season. Among the winter varieties of apple trees, Kuban Bagryanoye is known. The fruits of this tree are medium-large, yellow in color, with scarlet barrels, and have a sweet taste.
Description of the Kuban crimson apple tree
The apple tree is medium-sized, round in shape, of medium density. The branches grow at an acute angle, with straight protruding ends; the branches are crooked and sparse. The leaves of the tree are dark green in color, large, elongated, matte. The blossoms of the apple tree are fragrant, the flowers are large and medium-sized, white with a soft pink tint.
The fruits of this variety are yellow, with a rich red blush, and have pronounced white subcutaneous dots. The shape of the apples is round; the weight of one apple can reach 250 grams. The fruits are smooth and identical. Apples have a strong, pleasant aroma and sweet taste, juicy and dense.
History of variety development
Unfortunately, or fortunately, the Kuban Scarlet apple tree does not have any mythical history of breeding. The variety is quite young, entered into the state register since 2003. The work on breeding the variety belongs to the North Caucasus Research Institute of Horticulture and Viticulture in Krasnodar. The desired look was obtained by crossing Red Delicious and Jonared.
Interesting fact: in the Republic of Adygea, on 300 hectares of land, apples are grown (including Kuban Bagryanoye) in places where the ocean was located a thousand years ago.
And now in the apple orchard, at a depth of 2.5 meters, there are the remains of ancient mollusks, which affects the taste of the fruit, as well as its components. That is why apple trees are not subject to chemical fertilizers, they are environmentally friendly, healthy and of high quality.
Advantages and disadvantages
It is not news that breeding work is carried out to improve the qualities and selectivity of the characteristics of a new variety.Kuban Bagryanoye has already taken a certain place in the hearts of gardeners, having a lot of advantages over other varieties.
Among the main advantages, professionals highlight:
- storage duration;
- tree productivity;
- attractiveness of the fruit.
At the same time, the consumer (buyer) pays, first of all, attention to the taste of the variety, highlighting its sweetness and aroma. In addition, Kuban Bagryanoye is famous for its naturalness and lack of chemical treatments.
The disadvantages of the variety are the periodicity of the harvest, which is logical, because you want to please yourself with such a dessert all year round, as well as a decrease in the size of the fruit due to drought - which is very problematic, does not allow you to predict the yield and makes it dependent on weather conditions.
Main characteristics
Each variety of apple tree has its own characteristics and differences from the others. Sometimes these are significant differences that catch the eye (such as the color of apples or the height of the trunk), and sometimes, to determine a particular variety, you need to take a closer look. Kuban Bagryanoye has the following characteristics.
Tree size
The appearance of the tree is a medium-sized tree with a dense branch cover. This variety is not tall, the average height of an adult tree is 3 meters. The crown of the tree is of medium density and foliage. The trunk itself is slow growing.
Tasting evaluation of fruits
During the tasting assessment, the Kuban Bagryanoye variety was assigned a high tasting score - 4.7 out of 5 possible. Such a young variety attracted the public and surprised the tasting committee.
As for the chemical composition of the fruit, it undoubtedly depends on the soil on which the apple tree grows. The standard composition for the Krasnodar region is:
- from 3 to 11 milligrams/100 grams of ascorbic acid;
- from 45 to 130 milligrams/100 grams – P-active substances;
- 12-17% – dry matter;
- 0.3-0.9% – titratable acids;
- 8-12% – sugar.
Frost resistance
Harvesting begins in mid-September. What is noteworthy is that before the picking begins, the apples do not begin to fall off, but remain on the tree. The fruits are stored until mid-May, without losing their taste and commercial qualities. Frost resistance is considered very high.
Diseases and pests
One of the most problematic topics for gardeners is pests. There is something to please here - pests practically do not bother the apple tree. Rarely, scab lesions may be seen.
Frequency of fruiting
Around the 5th year, the tree begins to bear fruit. Frequency – medium intensity.
Productivity
The yield of the variety is high, observed already from the first years of fruiting. According to statistics, the average yield of 1 mature tree is 60-100 kilograms.
Distribution in regions
The recommended region for cultivation is the North Caucasus. It was here that this variety was bred, giving the appropriate taste and quality of apples, which farmers and consumers could appreciate.
Apple treats
Good old homemade preparations will help you cope with a rich harvest, as well as stock up on interesting ideas for an apple snack.
Drying
The oldest method of processing apples. There are no special rules or preferences regarding appearance, color, taste or size. Any apples, even ones that have slightly lost their appearance, are suitable for drying. Apple slices can be dried in the fresh air, in an electric or gas oven, or in special devices.
Let's reveal a little secret - in order to prevent the dried slices from losing their color and darkening, they must be soaked in a weak saline solution (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water) for 3-4 minutes. This unusual delicacy will be useful for children, pregnant women, women during lactation, as well as those on a diet.
Apple marmalade
Ingredients:
- 1 kilogram of peeled apples;
- 0.5 kilograms of sugar.
Peel the apples and cut them into halves, removing the seeds. Save the seeds and peel and place in a gauze bag. The pectin they contain will help the marmalade harden better. Cook the bag and apple halves for 40 minutes. After this, remove the bag and puree the apples (by rubbing through a sieve or using a blender).
Transfer the finished puree to a saucepan, add sugar in a 1:1 ratio, cook for 1-1.5 hours, stirring frequently. Place the finished marmalade into molds in a thin layer (up to 4 centimeters) and cool. Let it harden for a week or dry it in the oven (50 degrees) for 1.5 hours.
Apple vinegar
Ingredients:
- apples – 0.8 kilograms;
- water – 1 liter;
- sugar – 100 grams;
- yeast – 10 grams.
Grate the apples on a coarse grater, mix all the ingredients and let it brew for 10 days at a temperature of 20-30 degrees, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. After this, strain, add sugar or honey if desired, and leave for 2 months under gauze.
The apple is a versatile and popular fruit. Few people don't like apples; perhaps these people simply haven't found their favorite variety yet. Breeding new varieties allows you to discover unusual tastes, improve the quality of fruits and enjoy your favorite fruit all year round.
