Rubinette apple

Rubinette apple identification images

All images copyright Orange Pippin unless otherwise stated.

USDA identification images for Rubinette

The identification paintings in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection span the years 1886 to 1942.

Citation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705.

Visitor reviews

• 19 Oct 2022 

  A delicious apple. Sold by Breinton Fruit Farm, Hereford if anyone in this area wants to try it before planting. My tree is on M9 rootstock. It produces fine clean fruit in dry-ish years and tends to get scab in wetter years, e.g. 2021. I've never sprayed it. I moved the five year old tree in 2017 to a position where it gets more of a breeze. That possibly reduced scab too. On this soil, most apple trees grow far too large on MM106 rootstock, except possibly a few old varieties which produce tiny trees. Rubinette might do well on the slightly less dwarfing M26. But I've no time to try. The tree on M9 produced 16 kg apples in 2022. That's more than enough, given the number of varieties I have. On M9, if it's thinned well, fruit size is fine. Most apples weigh 120-140 g each. If it's not thinned, they're too small for my liking. In that respect, it's like Sunset. Both varieties tend to overcrop.
• 04 Mar 2018  IA, Australia

  Best tasting apple? Quite possibly. I got a dozen apples off my second leaf tree this past fall and I cannot wait for September to come around again. It is crisp, juicy, intensely sweet/tart/aromatic all at once. Magnificent! Every apple wishes it tasted this good!
• 08 Oct 2015  United States

  Just came back from France (October, 2015) where I tried a Rubinette apple for the first time from the little grocer next to our Paris apartment. Loved it so much, I went back several more times! Best apple I ever had - and hope I can locally source a grower.
• 25 Sep 2015  OHIO, United States

  Love this apple for it's hint of pear taste and it's crispness. For the commenter from Greene OH -- Branstool Orchard in Utica OH grows quite a few of these. They have them available beginning in early Oct and they are worth the trip to get some!
• 04 Apr 2015  WASHINGTON, United States

  We grow over two hundred varieties of apples in our orchard. Rubenette is the best eating apple we have and sell at our roadside stand. Although the size is nedium small it is not a distraction, however we are testing chemical thinning sprays and have noticed Rubinette on M-9 rootstock produces a half size larger apple than on seedling rootstock. We are testing to grow this apple on the more precocious rootstocks to improve size. As a commercial grower, we have access to sixe improving chemicals that do help, unfortunstely these products are not available tp backyard growers.We have no pest issues specific to this apple.Here at Feul 1908 Famoly Orchard we intent to grow Rubennette on a anall commercial scale.
• 29 Dec 2014  OH, GREENE, United States

  Stumbled onto this apple in Paris, FR this Fall (2014) at the produce shop next to Frenchie's Bistro. Impulsively bought a few and back out on the street, bit into one and immediately said to my son, "this is the best apple I've ever tasted", as said on the heading of the "Features" tab! Went back into the shop and bought some more. Then found the in the farmer's market in Truville, Normandy. Only wish it was more easily available here in the States. Can't wait to find them again!!
• 04 Sep 2014  BC, Canada

  Very cruncy and tasty apple!! My favorite so far.
• 16 Jun 2014  WA, United States

  Best apple I've ever eaten. I discovered then at the Queener Fruit Farm in Scio, Oregon, and we ended up going back 3x last year to buy more (by the bushel). The flavor and juiciness are amazing. We are going to plant 5 trees of our own this year. I'm sorry to hear that this variety is difficult to grow, but I'll be happy to eat whatever I can get. It will be worth any amount of trouble. I thought the small size was elegant.
• 17 Nov 2013  KENT, United Kingdom

  What a disaster. As another said 'But not a good grower, prone to scab, canker, never looks very healthy and mostly small fruit'. Lousy for two years after purchase. All fruit badly affected. Embarrassed for of all the apples I could buy, I buy this one as the marketing says best apple in the world.
• 17 Aug 2013  NORTH CAROLINA/ STOKES, United States

  I have two trees on m27 root stock in fourth year produced about 12 apples last year. I may have picked early but they were very good even after a very hot year .
• 16 Apr 2011  NORTHUMBERLAND, United Kingdom

  You say that it is surprising that Switzerland should produce a variety of apple, but this country produces more apples the the whole of the UK with only a tiny fraction of the area of fertile land. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_apple_production
• 08 Oct 2010  WASHINGTON, United States

  I picked a bushel of these at a local orchard the other day (sorry, Charles from Portland, rubinettes are grown in Washington), and I'm in the process of making some of them into applesauce. These are by far the tastiest apple variety I've tried in a long time. I'm already planning on returning to the same orchard next fall to get some more rubinettes, and I'll be looking for them at farmers' markets over the next few weeks.
• 28 Oct 2009  GERMANY, Germany

  I really don't care for the Granny Smith. This variety tastes only sour to me. In the US people always seem to swoon about Granny Smiths and how good they are in apple pies. I think Braeburns are much more flavorful both for eating and baking. I really like Pink Ladys also, but Rubinettes are, by far, the tastiest apples I have ever eaten.
• 28 Oct 2009  GERMANY, Germany

  Tried these for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I can only say this is the most delicious apple I have had in years. Has anyone tried baking them in a pie?
• 17 Oct 2009  SHROPSHIRE UK, United Kingdom

  We have just returned from an apple festival in Leominster. Amongst the 100's of apples on display was the magnificent rubinette. Crisp-juicy-flavoursome-tart-most tasty apple we have had for years. small but mouthwatering
• 26 Oct 2008  COLOGNE, Germany

  Tried these for the first time today, in the absence of Honeycrisp, picked up a 5 kg bag of Rubinettes at Krewelshof in Lohmar (near Cologne/Bonn). Delicious!
• 24 Oct 2008  NEW YORK CITY, United States

  Found some of these today at the Union Square Greenmarket. Didn't notice the name of the vendor, but believe me I'm going to look for him again! What a wonderful little apple! Tender-crisp, juicy and sweet, and just enough tartness (without being "sour") to make for a perky mid-day snack. I will be back for more; the vendor said he doesn't have these for long, so I'm going to have to hurry!
• 11 Apr 2008  CALIFORNIA, United States

  Rubinette did well in our low-chill, hot inland valley in a warm climate in Southern California. Extreme summer heat did not bother it and the flavor and crunch were outstanding. There is no disease here, so that was not a problem and it bore early and heavily. It may be one of the best Cox crosses for our area, much better than Freyberg.
• 01 Mar 2008  CARMARTHEN, WEST WALES, United Kingdom

  I bought some Rubinette at a local supermarket on the reduced counter, they were the best apples I have eaten, after asking for them again I was told that they dont stock them , just sometimes a box comes in to be sold as secounds. I have been asking for them everywhere i go with no sucsess
• 23 Nov 2007  PREUILLY-SUR-CLAISE, France

  Bought some today (23.11.07), grown locally at Coussay les Bois, and thought they might be local French variety, hence went online to check after tasting. Bought because of Cox like appearance, although our specimens are of medium size, larger than what is often available in England under the name of Cox. This apple is a revelation and to eat is superior to all but the very best, appropriately ripened Cox. We think your description of the eating quality - its balance of sweetness and sharpness - is spot on for the specimens we bought. We would add that the texture though crisp is less firm. We think that as a result it would very much appeal to childrenl. We'll be buying again and certainly more to take home to UK.
• 09 Nov 2007  SURREY, United Kingdom

  We bought some from RHS Wisley today, and I thought they could have been mislabled Cox's until I read your piece. They were not small though - getting on for medium sized. They were as you describe to eat, and even better cooked. The flavour improved and they kept their shape well with a lovely yellow-green colour.
• 21 Oct 2007  PORTLAND, OREGON, United States

  We just discovered this variety through a local market, and apparently they are one of the few varieties being grown exclusively in Oregon (as opposed to the many grown to the north in Washington State). Very tasty and a good eating apple.
• 18 Oct 2007  NORFOLK, United Kingdom

  We have 15 of these trees on our orchard. Undoubtably the best tasting variety we grow - cox like with greater acidity. At its best in November. But not a good grower, prone to scab, canker, never looks very healthy and mostly small fruit.
• 08 Oct 2007  EAST SUSSEX, United Kingdom

  Four of us went to the Open Day at Keepers Nursery in Kent yesterday, and spent a couple of hours tasting a huge variety of apples, and we all kept coming back to Rubinette. The blend of sharpness and sweetness, the crispness and juiciness, and the thin skin all contributed to to our choice. The smallish size and Cox-like appearance are advantages as well.
• 03 Aug 2007  United Kingdom

  You don't mention the marvelously crisp texture of this variety. I served these whole, for dessert after quite a formal dinner last night, and people raved about them. In this context, the small size is a positive attribute.

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• United States44
• United Kingdom14
• France 1
• Portugal 1
• Spain 1
• Canada1

Where to buy trees

The following tree nurseries offer Rubinette apple trees for sale:

• Orange Pippin Fruit Trees (USA) United States
  Rubinette apple trees
• Orange Pippin Fruit Trees (UK) United Kingdom
  Rubinette apple trees
• Cummins Nursery
  United States  More >>

Where to buy fresh fruit

The following orchards grow Rubinette:

United States

• Maine

  • Tiny Orchards, Saco

• New Hampshire

  • Lull Farm, Hollis

• New York

  • Bellinger's Apple Orchard, Fultonville

• Pennsylvania

  • Hollabaugh Brothers, Biglerville

• Washington

  • Skipley Farm, Snohomish        *** Feature Orchard ***

United Kingdom

• England - midlands

  • Walsgrove Farm, Worcester

France

• Poitou-Charente

  • Les Vergers de Vendée, Maureuil sur Lay

Canada

• British Columbia

  • Apple Luscious Organic Orchards, Salt Spring Island
  • Salt Spring Apple Company, Salt Spring Island

References

• Apples for the 21st Century
  Author: Manhart