GoldRush

Why you should be excited

GoldRush is a great late-ripening apple that's gaining a stellar reputation for its complex, spicy flavour.

The story of GoldRush

We struggled mightily as we sorted through the hundreds of apple varieties we could choose from to pick our top 25, the varieties we have planted more of and promote more enthusiastically than all the rest.

Since we were setting out to grow non-mainstream varieties almost exclusively, we weren't going to plant a lot of Granny Smith trees no matter what. But we knew we needed at least one variety that shared some of our favourite attributes of that Aussie classic: its crispness, tartness, firmness and good keeping ability.

Could we possibly find a variety that was as good as -- or maybe even better than -- Granny Smith in these all-important areas? It took some exploration, then debate and soul searching. But we finally did.

We'd like you to meet GoldRush, a 1994 introduction from those sharp apple breeders at Purdue, Illinois and Rutgers Universities. This time, they out-did themselves, breeding an apple with complex, spicy flavour, tongue-tingling acid and crisp flesh. GoldRush is a medium to large-sized greenish-yellow skinned apple, occasionally with a red blush, that stores as well as any variety we grow (or know about, for that matter).

While we might struggle to ripen GoldRush in years where we have a particularly cool summer (yes, that does happen on Salt Spring Island now and again), we're willing to take the risk in order to grow such a great apple. Especially since the trees of this variety are resistant to disease and moderately vigorous growers.

So, Granny Smith fans, please join us in welcoming GoldRush to the fold. We're thinking that once you try it, you may not be going back.

GoldRush Facts

Its origins

Bred in Indiana, USA; 1994 introduction.

Flavour, aroma, texture

Complex, spicy flavour, sprightly acidity. Crisp. Improves with time in storage.

Appearance

Very good. A medium-to-large apple with greenish-yellow skin, occasionally with a red blush.

When they’re available

Very late season (usually in November).

Quality for fresh eating

Outstanding.

Quality for cooking

Mainly used for fresh eating, but has excellent potential in baking due to its firmness, strong apple flavour and assertive acids.

Quality for cider

Outstanding. High sugars, high acids and strong apple flavour combine to make GoldRush a rising star in cider-making.

Keeping ability

Excellent (about 7 months when kept refrigerated).