Harry Masters Jersey cider apple trees
Malus domestica - Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Flowering group: 4
Harry Masters Jersey is a traditional English cider apple variety, producing a high quality bittersweet juice. It was introduced at the end of the 19th century and has been a popular English commercial cider variety ever since.
Harry Masters Jersey organic cider apple trees for sale
Next deliveries: January - February 2025
11 yeartree on M116 rootstock25.95€
Medium tree
(2m-3.5m after 10 years)
Bare-root
21 yeartree on MM111 rootstock25.25€
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Bare-root
Sold-out
EU delivery countriesClick here to view estimated delivery charges.
History
Harry Masters Jersey was developed in the late 19th century by Harry Masters, who lived in Somerset, one of the traditional cider-producing areas of England.
Harry Masters Jersey characteristics
- Gardening skillAverage
- Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
- Flowering group4
- Disease resistanceAverage
- Picking seasonVery late
- Season of use2-3 weeks
- Food usesHard cider
- Cold hardiness (USDA)Zone 5 (-29C)
- Summer average maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1900 - 1949
- Fruit colourOrange / Red
Similar varieties
Amere NouvelleAmere Nouvelle is a traditional French bittersweet cider apple.
DabinettDabinett is a traditional English cider apple variety, producing a bittersweet juice.
Kingston BlackKingston Black is one of the premier English cider varieties and produces a bittersharp juice.
MichelinMichelin (or Normandie Blanc) is a traditional French cider apple variety producing a bittersweet juice.
More about cider apple trees
Cider production in Europe is traditionally associated with three main regions - Asturias in north west Spain, Bretagne and Normandie in north west France, and the "west country" area of south-west England. These regions all face the Atlantic ocean and have cool temperate maritime climates.
Cider can of course be made with any variety of apples, but in these three regions apple varieties have evolved which are specifically intended for cider production - they have high levels of tannins which give "body" to the resulting cider, but which make them very unpalatable to eat fresh.
Good quality cider is almost always made with a blend of different apple varieties, using bitter, sweet, and sharp flavour components. It is quite common to mix in regular cooking and dessert apples to lend extra flavours.
If you are in an area with a hotter continental climate (with average summer maximum temperatures routinely over 30C) then you might want to consider using apple varieties that can withstand warmer temperatures, but still have good juice qualities. In this case rather than using European varieties you might want to seek inspiration from the very different "hard cider" traditions of North America, where dessert and crab-apples are widely used.
We have a good range of traditional English and French cider varieties, as well as a number of mainstream apple varieties with good juice qualities that lend themselves to cider production.