Fruit

RED ASTRACHAN is also known as Abe Lincoln, Red Ashmore, American Red, Hamper's American, Waterloo, Beauty of Wales, Castle Leno Pippin, Deterding's Early and Duke of Devon. It is a Russian apple imported into England from Sweden in 1816, and was brought to America in 1835 and widely distributed. Medium in size and roundish-oblate in shape, the skin is a very pale-yellow and cream, marked with splashes and stripes of bright-red. Sometimes the fruit is a solid-red. The white flesh is streaked with red when fully ripe, and is crisp, sweet and moderately juicy. The blossoms are a whitish-blue. The large oval leaves are medium to dark-green with a bluish cast, slightly folded and reflexed, and the serrations are shallow and irregular. The tree is of medium size, a vigorous grower that comes into bearing young, yielding moderate to heavy crops biennially or sometimes annually. Red Astrachan is very susceptible to blister canker and scab infection, and the fruit is highly perishable and must be used soon after picking. It is particularly known for making distinctive tasting pies. Beginning in early July, it ripens over a number of weeks.