Heirloom Apple Varieties

Cox’s Orange Pippin

It's odd to define an apple as “not appley;’ one would assume that to be an insult to the fruit. In the case of the Cox’s, it is quite the opposite. This ‘not appley’ apple, originally from Coinbrook England, circa 1825, will hold you spellbound with its juicy bite and vast array of sprightly, spicy, cherry-vanilla cream and clementine flavors. So popular in England that there are fans so devoted to this variety they refer to themselves as “coxoholics,” it’s a fine option for indulgence. It is fortunate that they excel in flavor, for growing Coxs can be incredibly challenging. As complex as its flavor profile is, they are equally as complex in contracting any and every disease an apple can; for this reason many choose not to, or simply can't grow it. We at Scott Farm like a challenge, and this apple star is far worth the battle. Best eaten fresh. Rowan Jacobsen couldn't have expressed it better when he said, “Cox would make a fine pie or sauce, but this would be like using the Mona Lisa as kindling.” We begin harvest in mid-September.

Read more about this widely adored apple in this pdf from the University of California Santa Cruz here.

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Photo credit @ Little Pond Digital

Photo credit @ Little Pond Digital