Kingston Black facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 'Kingston Black' |
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| Species | Malus domestica |
| Origin |  England |
The Kingston Black is a special kind of apple that comes from the United Kingdom. It's also sometimes called Black Taunton. People mostly use this apple to make cider. The apple gets its name from its dark red or purplish skin. Even though it's called 'Black', the apple isn't actually black.
Contents
History of the Kingston Black Apple
The Kingston Black apple first grew in orchards near a place called Kingston St Mary in Somerset, England. The people living there simply called it the "black apple."
This apple is great for making a unique cider all by itself. Because it was so good for cider, it became very famous by the early 1800s. By 1950, experts at the Long Ashton Research Station said it was the most common cider apple in western England.
However, some people thought its fame was a bit too much. One expert said that Kingston Black cider was "thin" on its own. But it was good for adding a nice dark color to other ciders.
Later on, farmers stopped growing as many Kingston Black apples. This was because the trees often didn't produce many apples. They also easily caught common apple diseases like canker and apple scab.
What Makes Kingston Black Special?
The Kingston Black apple is known as a "bittersharp" cider apple. This means it has a lot of both tannin (which makes things taste dry or bitter) and acid (which makes things taste tart).
Tree and Fruit Characteristics
The apple tree tends to produce a lot of fruit one year and then very little the next. This is called "biennial fruiting." The trees can also get common apple diseases easily.
The apples themselves are small and round. They have yellow skin with red stripes on the shaded side. On the side that gets more sun, they are dark red with dark purple stripes. They also have patches of gray russetting, which looks like rough, brownish skin.
These apples grow well in USDA Zones 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
See also
In Spanish: Kingston Black (manzana) para niños
