Orangutan Apple Variety In the Works
Kentville, NS, Canada
By ANUK Staff
4.25.13
Scientists at the Atlantic Food and Horticultural Research Centre in Kentville are working on a new apple variety, the Orangutan.
It has a tangy, citrus flavor like an orange and the bushy branches of the tree hang like the swooping arms of its tree-climbing namesake.
Only a select few have tasted the orange-yellow flesh of this medium-sized apple, whose orange blush may baffle some.
They were picked last October and have been in cold storage since. Some of the tartness has mellowed, but they are still tangy, with a hint of citrus, according to the Chronicle Herald.
Research Biologist Karen Burgher-MacLellan, is intrigued by the apple’s attributes. She has been working on new breeds for more than two decades.
“It’s a very unique name for a unique apple,” Burgher-MacLellan said in an interview in her lab. “There’s a niche for tangy apples. … Right now, the trend is to produce very sweet apples.”
The new fruit tree was first crossbred in 1985. It took five to 10 years for it to produce fruit. Over the next 10 years, the apple underwent tests focusing on storage capabilities, taste, disease resistance and commercial rootstock potential.
The Orangutan passed the rigid scientific muster and is now available for grower licensing, meaning nurseries and apple farmers can apply to grow it.
Local breeding is important to keep improving the genetics of the foods that we eat, Burgher-MacLellan said. It also allows products to be grown and tested under local conditions and climate.
“It has a unique flavour, and some people really like tart and sour apples,” said Marina Myra, a biologist overseeing cultivar evaluation and trials for the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association.
“And its size is very attractive for growers, who want bigger apples.’’
The market will decide its fate, Myra said. But even if growers license and start growing the trees, the apples are still years away from market.
