'Macoun' apples are a cross between the
'McIntosh' and '
Jersey Black
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the la ...
'
cultivar
A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
s. The Macoun ("Ma-cown," after the variety's namesake, Canadian horticulturalist
W.T. Macoun, but sometimes also pronounced either "Ma-coon" or "McCowan") was developed at the
New York State Agricultural Experiment Station The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) at Geneva, Ontario County, New York State, is an agricultural experiment station operated by the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. In August 2 ...
in
Geneva
, neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier
, website = https://www.geneve.ch/
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...
, by Richard Wellington. It was first introduced in 1932, and is an eating apple. This apple is excellent for making European style apple pies because it doesn't break down during cooking and remains firm. Macouns are also very popular at roadside stands and pick-your-own farms. Availability is generally October through November. Sugar 13%, acid 6g/litre, vitamin C 4mg/100g.
Aside from its short season of availability, the popularity of the apple is compromised by the problems it gives orchardists. The 'Macoun' has a short stem, and there is a tendency for the apple to push itself off the branch as the fruit matures; also, the 'Macoun' tends not to produce reliable crops each year, with a good harvest followed by a sparser one.
The patent application for the '
Honeycrisp
Honeycrisp (''Malus pumila'') is an apple cultivar (cultivated variety) developed at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station's Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Designated in 1974 with the MN 1711 ...
' apple stated that it was descended from 'Macoun' crossed with '
Honeygold', but this has since been disproved by genetic testing.
The
Price look-up code
Price look-up codes, commonly called PLU codes, PLU numbers, PLUs, produce codes, or produce labels, are a system of numbers that uniquely identify bulk produce sold in grocery stores and supermarkets. The codes have been in use since 1990, and ...
for all sizes of Macoun apples is 3073.
Characteristics
The skin is a dark red with a purplish flush. Its very firm flesh is juicy and snow white, tasting sweet with a hint of berry.
Disease susceptibility
* Scab: High
[Dr. Stephen Miller of the USDA Fruit Research Lab in Kearneysville, West Virginia.]
* Powdery mildew: High
* Cedar apple rust: High
* Fire blight: Medium
References
Apple cultivars
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