Ashmead’s Kernel

A Class of its Own

            [Acid- high; Sugar-high; Tannin-medium]

Eating, Culinary, Cider

English Mainstay, Adaptable,

Physical Attributes:

• Shape: Smallish, round squat
• Skin: Dull yellow-greenish, with a golden blush, brown streaking and light russeting
• Flesh: Yellow-greenish, tender, coarse-grained. Rapid oxidizer

Flavour:

            Prohibitively tart when first picked, but improves immensely after about a month of storage, just when “the skin begins to wrinkle.” Smells of orange blossoms, spices and nuts and is frequently likened to the British confections “Pear Drops”

Neat History:

            Developed by William Ashmead around 1720 in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom and has since retained something of a cult following despite it’s nondescript characteristics.

Growing Attributes:

• Precocity: Slow
• Vigour: Highly vigorous, upright spreading
• Disease Tolerance: Above Average
• Zone Hardiness: 4 (Map Link) prefers temperate climates
• Pollination Group: IV (Chart) (Triploid)
• Cropping: Annual, but erratic, light crop
• Picking Season: Mid October
• Storage: 3-4 months, flavour improves after a month of storage.
• Special Care: Spur-bearing

About the Rootstocks: Click on link for details

Planting Instructions: Click on link for details