Hudson’s Golden Gem Apples

While a lot of our modern day apples varieties were made from intention crosses, there are those out there that were just discovered. In 1931, a Oregon nursery called Hudson Nursery made such a discovery. A seed dropped in a hedgerow that produced a new variety of apple. They named the apple after their orchard – Hudson’s Golden Gem. It is a Russet type apple. It has a brown size like a Russet potato or a Bosc pear, with undertones of gold. The apple has an appealing elongated conical shape. It has a reputation for being one of the best looking Russets. The apple ranges from medium to large in size. It ripens in October and is a good keeper.

I found this apple at the Produce Station in Ann Arbor, MI. They were grown by Poverty Lane Orchards in New Hampshire.

My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)

Overall Feeling: Hudson’s is very sweet apple. It has better flavor than the popular sweet apple, the Gala. The pretty apples are not necessarily the best apples. The flavor reminds me a bit of a pear. Not much tartness to be had. It has the hard characteristic you find in Russet apples. These apples are best enjoyed out of hand. I prefer more tartness to an apple to use it in cooking applications.

Here are some apple related kitchen tools I recommend:
Amco Dial-A-Slice Adjustable Apple Corer and Slicer : Allows you to slice apples into either 8 or 16 pieces
Zyliss Soft Skin Peeler : The best peeler I have ever owned. Does a great job peeling an apple.
Mirro Foley 2-Quart Stainless Steel Food Mill : A great tool for making your own applesauce. You can make the sauce without having to do any peeling.