Red Fleshed Apples - Burford's Redflesh
Discovered by Tom Burford, U.S. Pretty red blossom. As for the fruit - grey bloom on skin which marks on handling. Not to be confused with Burford Red, a late apple from Oxfordshire. The tree is vigorous and healthy, unlike many red fleshed varieties, and would make a good ornamental with its greenish-bronze leaves. Scion wood from the tree is red stained.
Apples usually ready on about 1st October (Midlands, UK) and although the appearance is spectacular the taste is not good. Juice flavour pleasant, not much acidity, flesh texture dry and unpleasant; a bitter high-tannin aftertaste, though slightly better than wisley crab.
The bitterness disappears entirely on cooking though the flavour is bland. However the spectacular colour sometimes makes this worth mixing with Bramley etc in pies. Stays on tree until early Nov. Will keep through the winter.
Update 2011..... I have recently found that the unpleasant bitter taste of this apple is almost entirely confined to the skin. Remove it and the flesh is OK. It is also very high in anti-oxidants; cut fruit do not brown, so it retains its colour when dried.
An interesting observation about this fruit (and also Webster Pinkmeat, which is similar but fainter coloured) is that there is often no calyx.
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compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
