Wynoochee Early

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Why you should be excited

Wynoochee Early hails from our own general area of the world, boasting an unusually full-bodied flavour for an early apple.

The story of Wynoochee Early

Why grow an obscure apple variety like Wynoochee Early when there are so many other apples to choose from? The question has occurred to us and we think we've got a darn good answer.

Here are five reasons why this is one of our top varieties at Salt Spring Apple Company:

  1. Wynoochee Early is an apple ideally suited to our coastal climate, growing well and rarely suffering from the apple scab that's so common here. One of organic agriculture's most important tenets is to grow what's suited to your land and we believe Wynoochee Early is suited to ours.

  2. If you know your Washington State place names, you've likely guessed that Wynoochee Early originated in our part of the world, so has an historic connection to the region. In fact, it was discovered near Aberdeen, Washington early in the 20th century, and, yes, that's one more reason for us to grow it.

  3. In addition to being great-looking, the Wynoochee Early apple also keeps far better than most early apples, so, when you combine this with its excellent flavour, you've got a special apple variety that probably deserves to be less obscure than it is.

  4. Since when was it a bad thing to surprise people with a really great apple they've never before heard of?

  5. Wynoochee Early has a full-bodied flavour that's rare for an early apple. Beside Transparent and other traditional early-ripening varieties, it really stands out in a positive way. Who wouldn't want a variety that's special during those early days of the harvest season?

That's our thinking. Now it's your turn to give Wynoochee Early a chance and decide for yourself whether it deserves to be among the top echelon of Salt Spring Apple Company varieties.

Wynoochee Early Facts

Its origins

Discovered in Aberdeen, Washington, USA, mid-20th century.

Flavour, aroma, texture

Nice. Unusually full-bodied for an early-ripening apple.

Appearance

Excellent. Large, with red stripes on a creamy yellow background skin colour.

When they’re available

Very early season (usually in mid-August).

Quality for fresh eating

Very good.

Quality for cooking

Good.

Keeping ability

Very good (about 3 to 4 months when kept refrigerated).