(Rubayat)
Rubaiyat is one of the best examples of a red-fleshed apple. In a good year the bright red skin blends seamlessly into the bright red flesh - an effect you rarely see in any apple.
Like many red-fleshed apples the blossom is a darker pink than regular apples, and quite attractive.
The apples ripen very late in the season, early November in north-west Europe. They do not keep and although the flavour can be acceptable in some years it may not be edible.
Overall we think Rubaiyat is a remarkable apple, but it requires dedication and experience to get the best results.
Contact us if you would like to go on the waiting list for next season.
Let me know when Rubaiyat apple trees are back in stock.
If you do not hear from us by March you can contact us to pre-order for next autumn.
Rubaiyat is not easy to grow. It flowers quite late when not many other apples are around to pollinate it. Fruit quality can be quite variable from one season to the next. The extent and intensity of the red flesh is also variable.
The tree grows with a distinctly upright habit.
Rubaiyat was developed in the 1940s in California by Albert Etter. It was one of many red or pink-fleshed apple varieties that he raised from seeds of an old American pink-fleshed apple variety called Surprise.
While the vast majority of apples have white or cream-coloured flesh, some varieties have red flesh. Those with the most intense red flesh are usually descended from a red-fleshed crab-apple called Malus niedzetzkyana found in central Asia. The red colouration in this species also extends to the blossom, leaves and young shoots.
Other varieties feature pink flesh or pink / marbled flesh, and these are often more palatable.
The juice of red-fleshed apples is usually light or dark pink, and makes an attractive alternative to regular apple juice.
These varieties are of interest because of their ornamental qualities, and also because the anthocyanin compounds which give the flesh its colour are thought to have anti-oxidant properties.
