Ribston Pippin facts for kids
The Ribston Pippin is a special type of apple. It is known by many other names, like 'Essex Pippin' or 'Glory of York'. This apple is a triploid variety, which means it has three sets of chromosomes instead of the usual two. This can make it a bit different to grow.
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Where Ribston Pippin Apples Come From
This apple first grew in 1708. It came from one of three apple seeds sent from Normandy, a region in France. The seeds were sent to Sir Henry Goodricke, who lived at Ribston Hall in Little Ribston, England. The very first Ribston Pippin apple tree lived for a very long time, until 1835. Even then, a new shoot grew from the same roots, and it lived until 1928!
The 'Ribston Pippin' might even be one of the parent apples of another famous apple, the 'Cox's Orange Pippin'.
What Ribston Pippin Apples Look Like and Taste Like
The skin of a Ribston Pippin apple is yellow. It often has orange and red streaks. You might also see a rough, brownish patch, called russet, near the top and bottom.
The inside of the apple is yellow and firm. It has a fine texture and tastes sweet, often with a hint of pear. These apples are not always perfectly round. They can be a bit uneven or lopsided. They are usually round or cone-shaped and flat at the bottom. They also have clear ribs or ridges.
Sometimes, if the weather is very hot during ripening, the fruit might ripen too early. The inside of the apple can also look marbled or have a "water core" due to weather.
How Ribston Pippin Trees Grow
Ribston Pippin trees grow strongly and stand upright. Their leaves are medium-sized and deep green. They are often folded and have sharp, regular, saw-like edges called serrations. The surface of the leaf is smooth but has fine hairs, which is called pubescence.
These trees take a while to start growing fruit. To get more apples, it's important to have the right pollinators nearby. Pollinators are other apple trees that help the Ribston Pippin tree produce fruit. Some good pollinator trees include 'Lord Lambourne', 'Adam's Pearmain', 'James Grieve', and 'Egremont Russet'.
The 'Ribston Pippin' apple is very healthy! It has one of the highest amounts of vitamin C among apples, with 30 milligrams in every 100 grams.
Ribston Pippin in Stories
The Ribston Pippin apple has appeared in many books and poems.
For example, the poet Hilaire Belloc mentioned it in his poem "The False Heart":
I said to Heart, "How goes it?" Heart replied:
"Right as a Ribstone Pippin!" But it lied.
The apple also appears in famous novels. In The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, a character is described as a "little hard-headed, Ribston pippin-faced man." Another character in the book "peeled and ate three Ribston pippins."
In A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr, a character brings a bag of these apples, saying, "They're Ribston Pippins; they do well up here; I remember you saying you liked a firm apple."
See also
In Spanish: Ribston Pippin para niños
