Zabergau Reinette Apple

Zabergau Reinette is a winter russet apple with a strong rich flavor. It is harvested towards the end of October but at this point the flavor is very “green” and nettle-like. It improves after a month or so in cold storage and the flavor then sweetens, but remains pleasantly intense. As well as its rather handsome apples, Zabergau Reinette produces an abundance of attractive blossom in spring. Zabergau Reinette apples are a medium to large varietal, averaging 7.5 to 8 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to conical shape with a sometimes lopsided, blocky, or flattened appearance. The apple’s skin showcases some ribbing on a golden yellow-green base, lightly touched with a pale red blush on portions of the skin most exposed to the sun. The skin is also covered in lenticels and a coppery, golden-brown raised russet that spills from the stem cavity over the surface, giving the apples a textured, rough, and sandy feel. Underneath the surface, the white to ivory flesh is fine-grained, crisp, and aqueous with a dense and chewy consistency. This apple is native to Germany and was discovered growing from a planted seed in the late 19th century. The name Zabergau refers to the region where the apple was found, and the original apple tree of the variety was rumored to have been growing near the Zaber River. The second descriptor in the name, Reinette, is a heavily debated term, but in general, it is used to describe apple varieties that have a robust flavor with a delicate, fine-grained texture. Zabergau Reinette apples are also known as Graue Renette Von Zabergau, Reinette Zabergau, and Hausener Graue Renette.