*This is not a wildlife variety. I am a fan of citizen plant breeder Steven Edholm's (@Skillcult) apple breeding efforts and have grafted a limited number of his varieties. $5 from each tree sold will go to @Skillcult as a "royalty" to further his work.
-January Russet is a Grenadine Seedling. The other parent is likely either Lady Williams, Gold Rush or Golden Russet. Probably Golden Russet.
-January Russet is a rough and rustic apple. It is hard as a rock, astringent, sour and totally useless until it ripens in January. It is rough in appearance, rough in texture and not particularly polite in flavor. It has a somewhat odd resinous flavor at times and pineapple like bite. The flavor is fairly complex and rich. It seems particularly sweet for a deep winter apple, possibly because the water content is low. While it is not polite, I think it can be quite delicious and I now look forward to eating them each year.
-It is a similar season to Lady Williams, Pomo Sanel and Pink Parfait. One of the criteria for a late hanging apple is that it maintains its integrity, not cracking or rotting. January Russet places medium in that trait. It is not the most durable, but not the least either. By the time it is very ripe, the fruit will often crack, but leading up to that, most of them seem to survive. It is the closest thing to a bonified russet that hangs deep into the winter.
-Grafted onto seedling rootstock
See more about it here...
JANUARY RUSSET — SkillCult
