RF: Breunsdorfer

type: Dessert, Pie

synonyms: Note that this is not the same apple as (Borsdorfer Borsdorfer ) or Edelborsdorfer.

summary: This red-fleshed German apple has been pushed to the edge of extinction. Some may still be available from the right connections, but few - if any - can be found in the nurseries of continental Europe or the British Isles.

identification: SIZE/SHAPE/TEXTURE Medium size, round conic, skin is smooth, pink prior to ripening and glossy crimson once fully ripe. STEM Medium thick and medium long CHEEK (ribbed?) SKIN The skin is glossy red, smooth Cheek/skin/Ribbbed Narrow and deep stem cavity, the stem is narrow and set deep in a deep and narrow cavity The smooth skin is a rich crimson colour when grown in full sun The crown tapers down to four-knobbed crown The ??????

characteristics: The skin is pale pink when protected from the sun, but ripens rich crimson when ripened in full sunlight.

origins: The red-fleshed Breunsdorfer apples emerged during the late Middle Ages in the small cluster of farmyards that surrounded the monastery of Breunsdorf, 30 kilometres south of Leipzig in East Germany. Since there are no record of its development, it can be assumed that they originated with the red-fleshed apples that grew wild in the highlands of Eurasia (please see RF: Niedzwetzkyana's Apple ). By the late Middle Ages, the Breunsdorfer apple had become a popular commodity in the region. However, region also held extensive underground beds of lignite (also known as brown coal) used as fuel for heating and industry. The first devastating onslaught on the orchards occurred during World War Two when tanks and explosives devasted the region. Then, with the turn of the millennium, came the mega-tractors. The lignum underground was deemed more important than Breunsdorf's apple orchards and the latter were destroyed one by one through the late 1900s and on-going in the 2000s. What few apple trees that did survive the onslaught of mega-tractors did so thanks to the efforts of former residents who transplanted their Breundorfers to safer locations.

cultivation: Wood tends to be deep red. The flesh of the apple ranges from pale red when grown in shaded areas to deep red when allowed to ripen in full sun.

harvest: Usually full ripe starting early in the middle period.

notes: The Breunsdorfer is a large crimson apple with a delicate, soft texture and a taste slightly reminiscent of peaches. In appearance, it resembles Hansen's apples with its red leaves, blossom and wood, but has the Etter-type pale skin and superior flavour.