I have known about Cameo apples (sometimes referred to as American Cameo) for several years, but I keep missing reviewing them for the blog. But no anymore. This late season apple that is among the most pretty was discovered as a chance seeding. It wasn’t intentionally bred. It was found in an orchard in Dryden, Washington not far from Red Delicious and Golden Delicious trees. It is believed that these are the parents of this apple, but it has not been confirmed. The apple is one of the most stunning. It has streaks of red, orange, and pink in it’s skin. It has been gaining in popularity and it now among the top apples grown in the state of Washington.
The apple is picked later in the season after it’s likely parents, Golden and Red Delicious. As the tendency with later apples, Cameos store well and keep their crisp texture long after other apples have gone mealy. Due to their similarity to Galas in appearance and sweetness, I know at least one farmer who stores them until they have sold out of Galas (which do not keep as well) for the season.
Check out this video from a grower in Brewster, Washington:
My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
| Aspect | Score |
|---|---|
| Crispiness | 7 |
| Tartness | 3 |
| Apple Flavor | 6 |
| Sweetness | 9 |
| Juiciness | 8 |
Overall Feeling: These apples can be a mixed bag, they aren’t always as great tasting as they look. I got some really big ones recently they were just bland. I would opt for the smaller ones that have a nice sweet flavor, reminding me of Gala, but better. The sweetness of these apples make them a good choice for adding to homemade applesauce so that additional sugar is not needed.
Here are some apple related kitchen tools I recommend:
Amco Dial-A-Slice Adjustable Apple Corer and Slicer
Zyliss Soft Skin Peeler
Mirro Foley 2-Quart Stainless Steel Food Mill
Tom Davidson
January 10, 2013 at 6:58 pmHello sir, I stumbled on your blog while trying to find a bit more information on Lord Hindlip. Thank you for the well written review, the review on cameo was really helpful as well since your remarks sum up my thoughts on that apple very accurately. I think I will order that Lord Hindlip scion wood and give it a go.
Eric Samuelson
January 11, 2013 at 8:32 amI am glad that you found it to be helpful!
Joe Mantle
January 25, 2013 at 10:37 amThanks for the review. Cameo and Fuji came out on tied for first in a quick double-blind taste test that I did about 5 years ago. I removed the peel and the core, then I cut the apples into peices. I labeled the bottom of each plate with the type of apples then someone else mixed the plates so that I no longer knew which was which. Today, the market seems to suggest that Honeycrisp, which was not included in my test, is the customer favorite based on the sales price.