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Tolman Sweet apple

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Excellent for cider and drying, also a good dessert and baking apple. Large green or yellow apple, sometimes blushed red with lines of russet, often marked by a suture top to bottom. Flesh is firm, dry to moderately juicy, decidedly sweet. Historically, a highly esteemed 'sweet' apple.

USDA identification images for Tolman Sweet

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

    • 01 Oct 2022 
      My mouth waters just thinking about how tasty these apples are baked in a brown sugar syrup and served with roast pork. My grandmother, mother and now I love to serve this tasty treat with any type of pork or on there own as a dessert. Tolman Sweets are extremely hard to find in Ontario now. They are like gold if you come across them.
    • 05 Oct 2020  ONTARIO, Canada
      One of my favorites. Bought some today at Allin's Orchards just east of Bowmanville ON. I will have to remember to go there again.
    • 27 Nov 2018  ARIZONA, United States
      Best baking apple in the world. Mom used to place full cookie sheet of these in wood stove oven at night and let fire out ,perfect in bowl with cream for breakfast. Hold their shape and ooze sugar. Nothing like them ever grown . Need popularized again
    • 24 Jan 2018  Canada
      My favourite apple of all time, although I have not had one in twenty years or so. I wish I could taste one again!
    • 14 Oct 2014  NEW YORK, United States
      This variety is available for UPick at LynOaken Farms in Medina, NY. We fell in love with this apple for it's sweetness, but character beyond a traditional golden delicious.
    • 23 Nov 2013  ONTARIO, Canada
      Hard to get now. Most of our small orchard consisted of this apple when I was growing up on a farm south of Hamilton. Sweet even when half grown. A very different tasting apple, perhaps an acquired taste, but one of my favorites.
    • 12 Dec 2012  WI, United States
      I grew this variety commercially years ago. Very hard to find available these days. It had a cult following. People would call to check if ripe as they did not want to miss the harvest. Some would drive 60 miles just to get Tolman Sweet!

    Tree register

    United States

    Canada

    Spring blossom records for this variety

    2016 season

    • May  2016  - tree owned by Jason in Barss Corner, Canada

    2010 season

    • May  2010  - tree owned by Kris in Holden, United States

    Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.


    Harvest records for this variety

    2010 season

    • 1st week October  2010  - tree owned by Kris in Holden, United States

    Origins

    • Species: Malus domestica - Apple
    • Parentage: Believed Sweet Greening x Russet
    • Originates from: United States
    • Introduced: 1822

    Identification

    • Country of origin: United States
    • Flesh colour: White
    • Fruit size: Small
    • Fruit size: Average
    • Fruit size: Large
    • Fruit shape: Round
    • Fruit shape: Conical
    • Fruit shape: Flat-round

    Using

    • Picking season: Mid
    • Flavour quality: Good
    • Flavour style (apples): Sweeter
    • Food uses: Culinary
    • Food uses: Hard cider
    • Food uses: Drying

    Growing

    • Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer

    Where to buy fresh fruit

    The following orchards grow Tolman Sweet:

    United States


    Canada




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