York Imperial

Malus domestica 'York Imperial'
Hybrid parentage	Unknown
Cultivar	York Imperial
Origin	York, Pennsylvania, USA
Cultivar group members	Spencerville Red

The York Imperial, or York is an apple cultivar with a number of strains and cultivars, including four sport varieties: Commander York, Ramey York, Red Yorking, and Yorking.

History

In 1820, Quaker nurseryman Jonathan Jessop (also Jessup) developed this variety of apple on his "Springwood Farm" near York, Pennsylvania, United States, from grafts of a tree from John Kline's farm at Hellam. Some sources report Jessop observed school children digging out leaf-covered apples that were in a remarkable state of preservation in the early spring and later grafted another variety onto it. Though lop-sided, this new cultivar quickly became popular because of its taste and long keeping properties—which was especially important in the era before refrigeration. This cultivar was originally known as “Jonathan’s Fine Winter” (sometimes reported as “Johnson’s Fine Winter”), after Jonathan Jessop. Some sources credit John Kline of Hellam and some say it was William Johnson, nearer to York. Some report Kline is the one who found the apples under the leaves and took them to Jessop. Jessop got the credit for continued development of the apple. Scientific publications credit that long keeping trait to the density or lack of air in the apple.

In the early 1850s, Andrew Jackson Downing called this apple the “Imperial of Keepers” due to its excellent storage ability. From this moniker this apple became better known as the York Imperial. Jessop carried the tree to the Friends’ Yearly meeting in Baltimore, Maryland and from there the tree first spread into Virginia. Jessop carried York Imperial trees to several other Friends’ meetings. The York Township farm, known as Springwood, was later owned by Jonathan's son Edward, who raised his large family there with his wife, while commuting each week to Baltimore to run his hardware business. Edward's daughter Elizabeth became the wife of farm machinery manufacturer A. B. Farquhar. The farm was later sold to John C. Schmidt, who was instrumental in having the monument to the York Imperial Apple erected in 1920.

A distinct yet closely related variety, the Spencerville Red, was discovered in 1992 growing in a field in Spencerville, Maryland. The Spencerville Red ripens about a week after the York Imperial and is also lop-sided. The Spencerville Red is thought to be a cross between the York Imperial and the crab apple.

Characteristics

A York Imperial Apple

The York Imperial is easily identified by its lop-sided shape. The York Imperial is consistently one of the top ten selling apple varieties. The fruit is medium to large in size, and variable, from an oblate-oblique to an oval-oblong shape, the skins are deep red with greenish-yellow streaks and specks, as well as occasional patches of yellow or green. Often it is streaked with grayish scarfskin. The yellow/off-white flesh is coarse-textured, crisp and juicy, with a sprightly subacid to sweet flavor, that remains even after long storage. The tree grows upright and stocky with dark-green oval leaves that are shiny and slightly serrated. The core of the apple is small and compact. There are 175 to 185 days from full bloom to fruit maturity. York Imperials ripen in October and are harvested through December.

The York Imperial has a tart yet sweet taste, and keeps extremely well, becoming sweeter and mellower tasting over time. It sweetens in flavor for 5-6 months after it is picked. The York Imperial is excellent for baking, cooking, apple sauce, cider, preserves, jams, dried apple slices, and juice, as well as eating fresh. It quickly spread from Pennsylvania southward into Virginia. A properly cared for mature tree can average 20 bushels a year. The York Imperial is designated an "antique apple" because it has been raised for more than 180 years, one of the few apple cultivars that have survived that long. It is still commonly grown in orchards and backyards in the continental United States, especially Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. The York Imperial was often exported to Europe before import restrictions were implemented.

In addition to its native region of south central Pennsylvania, the York Imperial is now also grown southward along the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge mountains.

Recognition

Dedication of a Pennsylvania historical marker in 1920 on Jessop's farm

In 1920 the State Horticultural Society of Pennsylvania dedicated a historical marker to the York Imperial Apple, at the site of Jessop's farm, for its contribution "to the horticultural prosperity of the state." The Apple Hill Medical Center now sits on part of the Jessop farm. A bronze plaque on the lower level of the medical center reads:

"THE YORK IMPERIAL APPLE Was First Propagated About 1820 In This Field By JONATHAN JESSOP It Is the Most Widely Known Variety of Pennsylvania Origin and Has Contributed Largely to the Horticultural Prosperity of the State A Tribute by The State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania 1920"

There is a blue historical marker with yellow writing at South George St (SR 3001, old US 111), 2 miles south of York, Pennsylvania erected on April 5, 1948 recognizing the York Imperial that says “YORK IMPERIAL APPLE Here, at a nursery located on Springwood Farms, a new variety of apple was propagated by Jonathan Jessop in 1820. In 1855 it was named the "York Imperial,." earning the appellation "Imperial" for its keeping quality, not its flavor. It became a leading variety grown in the U.S.”

Further Reading

• Missouri Horticultural Society (1895). Annual Report of the State Horticultural Society of Missouri... Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Publishing Company. Retrieved 2010-1-1. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
• "Apple Cultivars" (PDF). Penn State University. Retrieved 2010-1-2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

Media related to Apples at Wikimedia Commons

• Apple nutrition

Apple, raw, with skin

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	218 kJ (52 kcal)
Carbohydrates	13.81 g
Dietary fiber	2.4 g
Fat	0.17 g
Protein	0.26 g
Vitamins	Quantity %DV†
Thiamine (B1)	1% 0.017 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	2% 0.026 mg
Niacin (B3)	1% 0.091 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	1% 0.061 mg
Vitamin B6	2% 0.041 mg
Folate (B9)	1% 3 μg
Vitamin C	5% 4.6 mg
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Calcium	0% 6 mg
Iron	1% 0.12 mg
Magnesium	1% 5 mg
Phosphorus	1% 11 mg
Potassium	4% 107 mg
Zinc	0% 0.04 mg
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.