Pomiferous
Welcome to the world's most extensive apples (pommes) database.
Information on over 7,000 apples is available here, all carefully researched and provided in a way that is easy to navigate.
Virginia Crab
type: Cider, Jelly
synonyms: Cider Crab, Hewes Crab, Hugh’s Crab, Hughes Crab
identification: Very small and round, somewhat flattened at the stem and calyx. The base colour is yellow maturing to golden yellow, washed with dull red with an abundance of white lenticels. The stem is very long and slender, set in a open and moderately deep, russeted cavity.
characteristics: Flesh is cream-coloured, firm, crisp and juicy. Cinnamon flavoured, pungent and sweet.
uses: Primarily a cider apple, but also makes an excellent crabapple jelly.
origins: Discovered as a wilding sometime early in the 1700s in Virginia (U.S.A.) possibly a cross between one of the many varieties brought to North America by European settlers and the native North American crabapple ( Malus angustifolia ). It rapidly grew in popularity as a cider apple, especially after Thomas Jefferson (third United States President, 1801 to 1809) selected it as one of the apple varieties to be grown in the orchard at his Montecello (Virginia) estate, in fact, he devoted the entire North Orchard to the Hewe’s Crab. During the latter 1800s, when cider-making fell out of favour in North America and a number of cider varieties disappeared for lack of interest, the Hewe’s survived because it was commonly used as root stock and also as a pollinizer for the Winesap, Black Twig and Arkansas Black in early 20th century orchards.
cultivation: Vigorous, spreading. On its own roots, it grows to about 15 feet in height. Bears heavy crops, but has a strong tendency to become biennial. Needs fairly warm summers to fully develop and tends to produce high levels of tannin and poor aromatics in cooler climates.
progeny: Red Hewe’s Crab , Lightfoot’s, Ellis’ and Roane’s White Crab are seedlings of the Virginia Crab.
cold storage: Keeps a month in cold storage, but loses sharpness quickly.
vulnerabilities: Susceptible to fire blight. Water core is a problem in areas of hot summers.
harvest: Ready for harvest at the end of the fourth period. The fruit needs to be gathered before it drops, since it loses texture and begins to rot rapidly after fruit fall.
notes: Pressing the apple for juice has been compared to squeezing a thoroughly wet sponge. Where used for blending, it tends to ripen a bit early for most compatible cultivars.
juice character: Used for making a very dry, amber cider or blended with other cider varieties. Complex in flavours and high in sugars with a well-defined astringency. Frequently with strawberry aromas and flavours.
juice_classification: Mild bitter-sharp
pollination group: C
pollination peak: 7
ploidism: Diploid. Self sterile. Recent discussion suggest that the Virginia Crab may be self-fertile and can also be grown true from seed. This remains to be verified.
harvest period: 4
flowers: white
hardiness: 4
sg: 1.07
Donate a cider?
©2016-2021 Pomiferous.com. All rights reserved