Golden Delicious
History
The Golden Delicious apple was discovered in the early 1900's on the Mullins family farm in West Virginia. In 1916, the 'Golden' was introduced commercial as a companion to the Red Delicious (although the two varieties are not related at all). The parents of the Golden Delicious are unclear, but it is thought that it could be a relative of the Golden Reinette or Grimes Golden.
Description
The Golden Delicious is large and slightly oblong, with a cheerful yellow skin dotted with light brown freckles. If you find it in the grocery store, the apple may appear more of a green colour, meaning it was picked too early to improve its shelf life. If cool nights come before the harvest, the Golden Delicious can even have a bright pink blush.
The flavour of a Golden Delicious is not exactly complex, but it certainly pleasant. It is mostly sweet, with an apple juice like tartness to it. It is thin skinned, easy to bite into, and consistently sweet and crisp with a silky texture.
Harvest Availability
The Golden Delicious is planted in all major apple growing areas of the world. In the North Okanagan, we receive a heavy crop in mid September, lasting about a month. Because Golden’s are grown all over the world, they are often picked pre-ripe for shipping. As a rule of thumb, 'if it ain’t yellow, don't buy it'!
Best uses
The Golden Delicious, because of its sweet-tart flavour, can be enjoyed fresh, and also has the necessary stability to be used in apple baking. Most notably, it is the apple of choice for baby food because its low acidity makes it easier to digest.
The Golden Delicious is a Davison family favourite for making applesauce and apple juice!