The temptingly tart apple
Is the registered tradename of the Vf scab resistant apple variety, WUR37. Freya® apples are comparable to Elstar in their taste and picking time. Freya® apples can be sold within an open sales concept, similarly to Elstar and Wellant®.
Fruit characteristics
Freya® apples have a flavour that is similar to a freshly picked Elstar. It is a bicolour variety with an on average 75% red colouration. The fruit size of Freya® is between 70 and 85 mm, making it larger than the average Elstar apple. Freya® apples look very attractive on the tree. The large, red, apples are ball-shaped to slightly cone-shaped, and make for a beautifully shaped tree. Once picked and packed in a crate, the apples have a nice, but sometimes a slight heterogenous appearance. A light russeting is characteristic of this variety, and tends to appear in the stalk cavity of the apple. Freya® apple flesh has a firmness of 9.0 - 10.5 kg/cm² at harvest and is therefore classed as firm. The sugar content of the fruit is 13 - 14.5° Brix at harvest.
Cultivation characteristics
The recommended location for Freya® appe orchards is north western to central Europe. The variety grows at an average speed and the branches lie horizontally. It flowers at the same time as Elstar. This apple variety is not particularly prone to biennial bearing and only requires a little pruning. Moreover, the variety is only slightly susceptible to apple canker and is tolerant to powdery mildew.
Harvest and Storage
The picking time of Freya® apples is similar to that of Elstar, i.e. around mid-September in a Dutch climate. As soon as the trees are fully laden, the fruits must be picked in two crops. After they have been harvested and stored for six to eight weeks, then transported over seven days, Freya® apples still indicate a firmness of 7.5 to 8.5 kg/cm². It is recommendable to store Freya® fruits in a similar way to Elstar, enabling storage under ULO conditions until May.