Belle De Boskoop

Origin and History

The dual-purpose Belle de Boskoop was discovered in 1856 by K J W Ottolander at Boskoop, near Gouda in the Netherlands. It was growing as a bud sport of Reinette de Montford. The variety achieved a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Merit in 1897. It was grown commercially in Germany and Holland and popular in domestic orchards in Normandy, but has never been common in the UK.

Fruit

The fruit is large to medium in size and can be lopsided and irregular. The skin is greenish-yellow with a scarlet flush and orange stripes showing through heavy russeting. The lenticels are small, grey-green and russet dots and the skin is dry. The flesh is creamy-yellow with a coarse texture. It has a crisp bite and tastes sharp and fragrant.

Belle De Boskoop blossom by Alan Buckingham

Picking, Storing and Using

Belle de Boskoop is best picked in early October as a dessert apple or later as a cooker which will store through to April. It cooks to a golden-yellow fluff with a good flavour but rather woolly texture.

Growth, Flowering and Pollination

The tree is large and vigorous with an upright, spreading habit. It is suitable for cold and wet areas and crops reliably.

Belle de Boskoop is a triploid, meaning it needs two other apple varieties as pollinators. Good examples include Allington Pippin, Barnack Beauty and Annie Elizabeth.