Salome is an often overlooked heritage cultivar of many virtues. It has a well-documented history of being ‘vigorous, hearty, and healthy’, producing a reliable crop of nice quality scrab-free fruit. Salome is known to grow fast and starts to bear fruit quite young. This variety first became of interest to growers because of its ability to hold onto fruit even in high winds and the fruit's good storage following harvest. Salome’s palm-sized, round fruit ripens in early October to produce a cute, subtle apple with pinkish-red blush over a pale yellow back colour. Its flesh is cream-coloured, fine-grained, crisp, tender, and juicy. Salome has a nice fruit flavour and pleasant texture, making it good for fresh eating despite historically being mostly used in pies and sauces. For all its great qualities, its lack of bold colour and snack-size meant this variety was overlooked for commercial distribution. Parentage: Unknown parentage, originated in 1853 in a nursery in Ottawa, Illinois. Exhibited in the Illinois State Horticultural Society in 1878. References: The Apples of New York, page 298.Pomiferous - Salome Image credit: UK National Fruit Collection
