In our country, at least several hundred apple varieties can be found in cultivation, and there are several thousand of them in the world. As a rule, only a few popular varieties can be found in stores, such as 'Golden Delicious', 'Jonagold', 'Szampion' or 'Idared'. It is hard to find on the shelves of the until recently 'Papierówek', 'Antonówek' or 'Malinówek'.
At local marketplaces, you can still see the fruits of 'Orange Coke', 'Lobo' or 'Jonathan', coming from old, still existing orchards. In the villages, on the other hand, you can find single, already slightly wild trees of varieties, the names of which no one remembers anymore.Even though apple trees are not very long-lived trees, you can still find old plants planted at least several dozen years ago. Unfortunately, they are slowly falling into oblivion because they have not been reproduced for a long time. The old varieties, although they are known and have excellent taste, did not survive the clashes with the new, very fertile and long-storing varieties. Growers chose those that were fruitful and profitable every year. In this way, all the less perfect and not very beautiful apples slowly disappeared from shops and markets. Most of the old varieties squash easily and their fruits are not so beautiful and shiny, but they can be successfully grown in home gardens.
Many nurseries reproduce more and more often and offer apple trees of forgotten varieties, perfectly suitable for amateur cultivation. In the past, almost no chemical protection was applied, and trees grew and bore fruit without a single spray. Also today, many old varieties will bear fruit well and grow without intensive protection, because they are naturally resistant to diseases and pests.Let us not be frightened by the fact that when we think about old varieties, we see large, branchy trees. Now that low-growing rootstocks are widely available, we can decide the size of the plant ourselves.
To save from oblivionThere have been institutions operating in the country for several years, the purpose of which is to collect all the varieties that have been cultivated in our lands for centuries. Sometimes dying out and single specimens of fruit trees are picked up and grafted anew. All kinds of cockerels, streaks, polygons are the local names of apple varieties. They were often cultivated for centuries in only one area, or even in one village. Eyelets or slips are taken from all these trees and pomological orchards are created with old varieties. Collections of old apple varieties are available, among others at the Arboretum in Bolestraszyce near Przemyśl, in the Botanical Garden of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, and at the Institute of Pomology and Floriculture in Skierniewice.
' Kosztele, ' ' Antonówki 'i' Grafsztynki'Most of the varieties, despite the fact that they come from different parts of the world, arrived in our country via various routes and stayed here.Some varieties, however, have native roots. Perhaps the most widespread in the past, and now better known by hearsay, is "Costela". It was probably bred by monks in Czerwińsk about 500 years ago. Its name comes from the saying of Jan III Sobieski, who, being a lover of gardens and orchards, when he saw that there was only one basket of his favorite apples in one year, exclaimed: "only basket?". These apples, called 'Kosztelki' or later 'Kosztelki', are the oldest known Polish variety. The green skin turns yellow in September, sometimes with a delicate blush. The fruit is firm, but sweet and juicy at the same time. Over the centuries, this variety has adapted to domestic conditions, therefore it is not very sensitive to frost and diseases - scab and mildew. It can be successfully planted in gardens.
Among other, once very popular varieties from the regions of contemporary Poland, 'Landsberska' should be mentioned. It was bred around 1840 near Gorzów Wielkopolski.The amateur grower sowed seeds in his garden and then selected the best trees. In this simple way, a variety was created, later known almost all over Europe. Unfortunately, the tree yields alternately, like almost all older varieties. It is also more sensitive to frost as well as disease. Even so, growing this variety is usually successful in gardens. It is valued for the excellent, rather winey taste of the fruit, which is also suitable for preserves.
From the east …The autumn variety known even nowadays, very resistant to frost, namely 'Antonówka', comes from Russia. Yellow, hard, even when fully ripe, sour fruit is irreplaceable in the kitchen. According to many, there is no better variety for all kinds of preserves, for baking apple pies, cider or drying. The most famous summer variety, called 'Papierówka', comes from the B altic countries. Its correct name is 'Olive Yellow' or 'Inflancka'. The fruits ripen on trees at the end of July.It is impossible to confuse it with another variety. Light, green at first, turning to yellow skin does not have any blush. Unfortunately, juicy fruits override quickly. The disadvantage of this variety is the very delicate flesh of the apples, which is easily compressed. For this reason, it has long disappeared from commercial orchards, but you can still find it in home gardens.
And from the west …'Malinówka', or 'Malinowa Oberjski' comes from the Netherlands. She was bred in 1770. The spherical-conical fruits are not too big, but have a beautiful, intense, dark red color. The beetroot blush covers almost the entire fruit. Apples of this variety, when ripe, have an interesting raspberry flavor. For this reason, they were a delicacy on the tables of our ancestors. The remaining advantage of 'Malinówka' is resistance to diseases and frost.
'Szara Reneta' comes from France, and was already cultivated in the 16th century. Fruits of this variety have a characteristic rusty skin, sometimes with a slight blush.The flesh is green, acidic and rather firm. The fruits of 'Szara Reneta' are good to eat only when they lie for a few weeks. After this time, they will become softer and therefore tastier.
