Description
An extremely old variety of cooking apple, very elongated and angular in appearance. Already known by the early 1620s, the exact origin of this variety is unclear, but it is almost certainly a seedling of the 'costard' apples introduce in to the UK by the Normans in the 11th and 12th Centuries. Very large pale yellow or silvery green fruit with a very smooth skin, this cooks to a firm sharp puree. Medium sized spreading tree, and a heavy cropper.
"One of over 60 apples described by Parkinson (Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris, 1629), Catshead is an ancient culinary apple, which found its way, judging by the proliferation of names in translation, to countries in both eastern and western Europe. And either by colonial excursion, or with successive waves of emigrés, it went to Virginia, Carolina, and Pennsylvania in the USA, and to Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. It appeared consistently in Virginia nursery lists until the 1900s, but was certainly grown there for decades before. It is mentioned in the diaries of a journalist, David Burn, in the list of his purchases in July of 1850, for his orchards at Cotele, New Zealand, at a cost of six shillings each.
It is esteemed by many pomologists, disdained by others. 'One of our oldest and best culinary apples', says Hogg, 'Not worthy of cultivation', says Bunyard, the epicure. 'Flesh tender, juicy and sweet, with a pleasant, acid and slightly perfumed flavour', says Hogg; 'Flavour poor, sharp.' says Taylor. What is certain is that wherever it was grown, it was recognised as an apple of substance by the people who needed it most; the dough-wrapped apple dumpling that would 'stick to your ribs' could have no better filling than a Catshead, and local Yorkshire anecdote suggests that such was the farmworkers' fast food wherever it was grown in northern England as well as in Kent. It was the pomaceous equivalent of the Cornish pasty.
The tree is vigorous and productive, though often an erratic bearer in youth, probably on account of its vigour. Hilary Wilson grows it in Cumbria, where, she says, it has taken a long time to get into production. It crops once established, in the west as well as the drier east of northern Britain. A staple in pies and baking, its sharpness is a useful complement to bacon, pork and other fatty meats; it cooks to a sharp, firm purée, and is ideal with herring." © Lin Hawthorne - 'The Northern Pomona'.
For help with choosing the correct rootstock for your needs, please click here A Guide to Rootstocks
For help with choosing the correct size and shape, please click here A Guide to Fruit Tree Shapes
